H. responded briefly to the statements. “I really feel bad for them. My words won’t matter, but I sympathize with them.” He says the accident also had a major impact on him. He started having panic attacks, was at home for some time with a burnout and hardly dared to drive around roundabouts. He has now changed jobs and only drives outside built-up areas.
Manslaughter not proven
According to a report from the probation service, the man has a stable life, no criminal record and the chance of recurrence is small.
The Public Prosecution Service believes that the driver should have seen Kalina, but it cannot be proven that there was “significantly careless driving”, which is necessary for a conviction for culpable homicide. The officer asks for an acquittal for this.
The Public Prosecution Service does believe that the driver caused danger on the road because he was careless and did not pay enough attention to the traffic. The requirement is a community service of 60 hours and a driving ban of two months.
Lawyer Rick van Leusden stated that it cannot be proven that his client was driving dangerously. Due to the heavy rain and uncertainty about the priority situation, it cannot be determined exactly what the cause of the accident was. He therefore asked for a complete acquittal.
The court will rule in the case on March 18.
