The 40-year-old man who caused a fatal accident in Deurne last year has been sentenced to eighty hours of community service. The driver was distracted on the N270, drove to the left for a moment and then collided head-on on the car of an 84-year-old man. He died a week later in the hospital.
It was a clear day on that day in January 2024 and the man’s sight was not hampered by anything. Moreover, he knew the road well, because he drove over the Langstraat every week to go shopping. But according to the judge, the man has been inattentive while driving.
He drove without braking and in a straight line to the left. Given the traffic situation, the man should have been extra careful according to the judge. The lanes were not separated, it was busy on the road and work was done on the road. For example, there were guide beacons, warning signs and a temporary traffic light.
Due to the road works, a maximum speed of fifty kilometers per hour applied. The man was kept there. Yet he ended up on the wrong side of the road, because at that moment he said he was sitting with his thoughts with his sick daughter.
Personal apologies offered
The court realizes that the man never wanted this accident. But that does not mean that the relatives of the 84-year-old man with a void are left behind. One of the relatives has completed a mediation process with the suspect, in which the driver apologized and they came closer together. This means that the court imposes a community service sentence of eighty hours.
Furthermore, the judge takes into account that the man needs his driver’s license because of the care of his daughter, who suffers from a rare nervous disease. That is why he does not have to hand in his driver’s license and only receives a conditional driving ban of one year.