Victims' relatives blame truck driver for driving with epilepsy in crash that killed 7

Relatives of the victims killed when a truck drove into a block party in Nieuw-Beijerland in 2022 blame the Spanish driver for driving the truck while knowing that he suffers from epilepsy. “The suspect took risks time and time again,” one of the relatives, Sander Koot, said in court on Wednesday. “Every day, he put people in danger.” Juan C.S. was driving a truck that hit a barbecue party at the ice club Nieuw-Beijerland on August 27, 2022. Seven people lost their lives in the incident, including one unborn child. Seven other people were injured.

The relatives were allowed to read their statements on the second day of the trial. Koot also did so on behalf of his two brothers. The three lost their father in the incident. "We are three young boys who have lost our father far too early in our lives," Koot said. "We miss our friend, mentor, and our great hero."

The three men blame the driver for not giving clarity about the events. “Your poor memory about something that you will never forget for the rest of your life does not fit.” They also blame the suspect for taking drugs. “Everybody with some degree of logical thinking understands that there are certain things that you are better off not doing with certain diseases.”

Traces of cocaine were found in the suspect’s blood. This could have had something to do with an epileptic seizure, one expert concluded.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) thinks that the suspect suffered an epileptic seizure, although the suspect denies this. He expressed his regret after hearing the statements. “It was a horrifying thing,” C.S. said. “Nothing more than that.” The suspect claims to have no memory of the incident.

In other statements, which were read out by Victim Support Netherlands and the court, the people involved described the impact the incident has had on their lives. “The entire community was in total disarray, in shock and enormous panic.” These people still struggle to deal with the incident. “It is a nightmare that I will never forget, a bad film that has not finished yet.”

Sander Koot and his brothers hope that the suspect will never drive again. “Make sure that this man can never make this kind of mistake again,” Koot said to the court at the end of his statement. The prosecutor’s recommendation will follow next week.