Six injured in Belgian highway pileup after Dutch police chase

Six people were injured Saturday night in a major pileup on the E19 near Loenhout, just across the Dutch border, following a police chase from the Netherlands. One person suffered serious injuries and was transported to a hospital.

Dutch police had been pursuing a vehicle from the Netherlands and stopped it near Loenhout. "The chase resulted in a crash," authorities said. "The driver sustained severe injuries and was taken to the hospital. After the crash, a chain-reaction collision occurred at the tail end of the traffic jam."

Belgian broadcaster VRT reported that the pursued vehicle flipped multiple times before coming to a stop. In the resulting pileup, six people were injured, including one person who was trapped inside their vehicle. Firefighters used cutting equipment to free the individual. At least four cars were severely damaged and had to be towed from the scene.

Due to the crash, two lanes and the emergency shoulder in the direction of Antwerp were closed, forcing traffic to be rerouted. Authorities reopened the highway later in the evening after clearing the wreckage.