Update
Four vehicles were involved in a serious traffic accident on the E403 in Izegem in West Flanders during the night from Friday to Saturday. Six people were injured, including two children. A 7-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman were seriously injured. The 39-year-old father and his 4-year-old daughter from the same family, who were initially in mortal danger, are now out of danger.
Regional journalist at HLN
The first accident happened around 2:30 am, just before the Izegem-Roeselare Haven exit. That exit is currently closed due to road works. “According to the initial findings, a car with a family may have stopped for an unknown reason near the work,” the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office said. “A vehicle behind was probably unable to avoid the car and crashed into the vehicle in which the family was sitting. The impact caused both vehicles to collide with a crash absorber.”
As for the victims from the family, the public prosecutor’s office confirms the seriousness of the situation: “In the car in which the family was sitting, the mother (40) and the 7-year-old boy were seriously injured and taken to the hospital. The father (39) and the 4-year-old girl were in mortal danger.” In the meantime, both the 39-year-old man and the 4-year-old girl are out of danger. The 27-year-old driver of the van who crashed into the car was also injured.
Although the exact reason for the stop is still unclear, the Roeselare fire brigade notes that the signaling on site was in order. “There were works, but there was sufficient signaling. There was a large signaling board 500 meters from the works,” the fire brigade said.
Second collision
A second collision occurred a few minutes later at the same location. “The driver of a third vehicle, a taxi, stopped to provide assistance to the victims,” the prosecutor’s office said. “Shortly afterwards a fourth vehicle arrived and collided with the taxi and one of the vehicles from the first accident.”
“The taxi driver was not injured because he was no longer in the car at the time of the accident. The driver of the fourth vehicle gave a positive breath test. He was slightly injured and was also taken to hospital.”
Devastation was left on the E403 with four heavily damaged vehicles and debris strewn across the road surface. The police therefore decided to completely close the highway between Roeselare and Lichtervelde, towards Bruges, to traffic.
A traffic expert arrived on site to investigate the precise circumstances of the serious accidents. The highway was reopened to traffic around 8:30 am.