Stint cargo bike execs should be jailed for 5 years in fatal daycare crash: Prosecutors
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is seeking prison sentences of five years and four months for two executives and fines totaling 360,000 euros for their companies over a 2018 Stint cargo bike crash that killed four children at a railway crossing in Oss.
The crash occurred on September 20, 2018, when a childcare worker transporting five children in an electric Stint lost control. The cargo bike entered the Oss-West railway crossing and was struck by a train. Four children died: 8-year-old Dana, 4-year-old Liva, 6-year-old Fleur, and 4-year-old Kriss. The driver and 11-year-old Indy, Dana and Liva’s older sister, were seriously injured and continue to suffer lasting physical and psychological effects.
Investigations determined the driver was not at fault. Prosecutors focused instead on the Stint’s multiple technical defects, including failing batteries, malfunctioning throttles, removed emergency brakes, absent start-up protections, and inadequate mechanical brakes. The vehicles did not comply with European Machinery or EMC directives, and users—primarily childcare organizations—were not informed of the safety risks.
“It was not a question of if a terrible accident would happen, but when,” prosecutors said, citing multiple prior incidents in which Stints stalled at intersections, stopped near railway crossings, or ended up in ditches.
The OM described the cargo bike as a “harmful product” and accused the executives of knowingly ignoring reports of malfunctions and accidents. “The defendants chose to lie about the safety of their product, failed to implement basic safety measures, and misled users,” prosecutors said. Technical research showed that attempts to reduce braking force on the motor weakened the mechanical brakes further, leaving the vehicles with insufficient stopping power.
Prosecutors also accuse the executives of falsifying documents. User manuals falsely claimed that the Stint met essential European safety standards—a statement removed and corrected only after the accident.
“The children had no chance when the Stint entered the railway. They will never grow older, and their parents will never see them grow up,” prosecutors said, emphasizing the long-term impact on the victims’ families.
The OM said only prison sentences would reflect the severity of the defendants’ actions. “From the beginning, the defendants were aware of hundreds of reports, repeatedly lied about the safety of their product, and continued to commit serious violations even after the accident,” prosecutors said.
