Stint vehicle’s negligence trial begins in daycare railroad crash that killed 4 kids
Seven years after a train hit a daycare’s Stint electric cargo bike, killing four young children, the negligence trial begins against the two companies and two executives responsible for bringing the cargo bike to the market. The families of the killed children are “desperately looking forward to the trial finally starting,” Lars Walder from Namens de Familie, who is acting as the families’ spokesperson, told NOS.
On 20 September 2018, a childcare worker was taking five children to school in the Stint when she lost control of the cargo bike. She later said in interrogations that she was unable to brake. The bike ended up on the railway crossing at Oss-West station and was struck by a train.
Four children were killed. 8-year-old Dana, 4-year-old Liva, 6-year-old Fleur, and 4-year-old Kriss. 11-year-old Indy, Dana and Liva’s older sister, was seriously injured. As was the childcare worker. Both survived the tragedy.
Today, two companies and two executives responsible for the production and sales of the Stint cargo bike will appear in court. In the years since the accident, several research agencies concluded that the vehicle was rife with technical defects. Among other things, there was no proper brake system or brake switch, the throttle was faulty, there was no start-up protection, and there was no emergency brake.
With expert reports, contact between suspects and customers, phone taps, and statements from witnesses and suspects, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) hopes to prove that the suspects knew about the Stint’s defects, concealed them, and brought the vehicle to the market anyway. Stints were widely used by childcare organizations to transport kids. According to the OM, the suspects’ actions not only resulted in the death of four children, but also risked the lives of countless other children.
The fact that the killed children’s families had to wait over seven years for this case to come to trial is because the initial focus was primarily on the accident itself and its cause, the OM told NOS. In 2020, the OM decided not to prosecute the childcare worker who was driving the Stint. According to the OM, she did everything in her power to prevent the accident.
The OM only then turned its attention to the manufacturer and designer of the vehicle. The authorities conducted extensive technical research, interviewed many additional witnesses, and fulfilled the defense’s numerous investigation requests. All of this led to an investigation file consisting of thousands of pages, and the trial starting much later than hoped.
The families felt every day of the long lead-up to this trial, Walder from Namens de Familie told the broadcaster. “The relatives are ready to finally see people held accountable,” he said, adding that this is going to be a difficult period for them. “They’re really looking forward to it, but they’re also dreading it. A full six days are scheduled for the trial. So those will be six tough, long days. They still feel the loss every day.”
The victims’ parents will exercise their right to speak. As will Indy and the childcare worker. “They’re very eager to share their feelings, including with the Stint manufacturers,” Walder said. “They want to show people what happens when you market a product they consider defective and the potential consequences.”
The facts of the case will be presented today. The relatives and survivors will speak on Thursday. The OM is expected to recommend sentencing next Monday. A verdict date has not yet been set.
