accident
The 45-year-old motorist who crashed into a group of cycling tourists on Sunday with three per mille in his blood has been arrested. The investigating judge in Ghent decided this. Two men were killed in the accident. It turned out that the driver had not had a valid driver’s license for ten years.
Simon Dekaezemaker and Annelies Baeten, yda
Today at 3:34 PM
The driver who killed two cyclists in the port of Ghent on Sunday has been arrested. The accident happened around 11 am in the Pantserschipstraat in Ghent. The car driver crashed into a group of five cyclists who were riding on the cycle path. Two of the cyclists, two 45-year-old men from Lochristi, did not survive the collision. The car driver gave a positive breath test after the accident. According to sources close to the investigation, the man had 2.99 per mille in his blood.
The driver had not had a valid driver’s license for ten years, because he had previously been convicted several times for traffic offences, including twice for driving under the influence. The traffic expert’s initial investigation shows that the accident was caused by a steering error by the car driver in combination with excessive speed.
Previously convicted
On November 20, 2009, he was convicted for the first time for “serious intoxication and ignoring a traffic sign” on January 3 that year. The man was brought before the police court in Ghent and was sentenced to a 45-day driving ban and a 1,100 euro fine. This is evident from the verdict. Nothing more is known about the circumstances of the accident.
On Christmas Day 2012, the man was arrested again for ‘intoxication and drunkenness’. On May 9, 2014, he had to appear before the Ghent police court, but the man himself failed to appear. He was again banned from driving for 45 days, fined 1,200 euros and also had to retake his medical and psychological tests if he wanted to get his driver’s license back later.
Detention
The driver was questioned on Sunday evening and spent a night in jail. The East Flemish public prosecutor’s office decided to bring him before the investigating judge. He decided on Monday afternoon to arrest him.
Eighth night in jail for driver with 3 per mille in blood
The Bilzen-Hoeselt-Riemst police stopped a driver on Sunday night who also had three per mille of alcohol in his blood. It was already the third time that the man was caught drunk behind the wheel and the eighth time that he had to spend a night in jail to sober up. That reports The Importance of Limburg. The man was checked because he was driving noticeably slowly in the Hospitaalstraat in Bilzen.
Sunday night was the third time that the man had to surrender his driver’s license, for a period of 15 days. The man will have to answer before the police judge later.
