The tragic accident happened around 2.15 pm. However, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the circumstances. It is certain that the victim was cycling with a friend at the time of the incident. Near the intersection with Nijverheidsstraat, there was a collision with a passenger car, driven by an 85-year-old man. The condition of the 12-year-old girl, who comes from the area around Ronse, immediately turned out to be very serious. Her friend was in shock but unharmed.
An ambulance rushed to the scene and the MUG helicopter also landed at the accident site. The victim was given first aid at the scene for a while. She was subsequently flown in the MUG helicopter to the UZ in Ghent. According to the first reports, the girl would have suffered severe skull trauma. “The victim was in a critical condition,” says chief of police Peter Billiouw of the Spoorkin police zone. “Her parents were informed by phone and were to come to the hospital.”
The Vaartstraat was seized after the collision for further investigation. “It is not yet clear how the accident could have happened,” said Billiouw. “The public prosecutor’s office is sending a traffic expert on site to investigate the circumstances.”
