20-year-old Piet van O. from Drunen, who survived a fatal ride on the A16 as the only occupant of a wrong-way car after a shooting in Roosendaal, is released. The court in Breda decided this on Friday. She has ‘an eye for the consequences it has had for him’.
Van O. is suspected of complicity in attempted manslaughter during the shooting on January 15 this year on Burgerhoutsestraat in Roosendaal. A 19-year-old man was injured. He is also suspected of complicity in causing the fatal accident, which left three people dead, although he was not the driver.
Van O. and two others fled in their car after the shooting. The police started a chase, but called it off when the getaway car turned around without lights and went wrong-way. Shortly afterwards, a fatal collision followed on the highway near Prinsenbeek. The 33-year-old driver from Tilburg and a 17-year-old boy from Harreveld died, as did the 54-year-old Rotterdammer who was hit. His co-driver and her daughter from Antwerp were injured.
‘Packs of drugs’
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the three men planned that day to steal a batch of weed, money or a car under threat of violence. A few days before the incident, Van O. is said to have had telephone contact with the others about a weapon, ‘grabbing drugs’ and a ‘quick job’.
The Public Prosecution Service does not assume that Van O. was the shooter; he denies that himself. “For co-perpetration it is not necessary that he has performed all the acts.”
The suspect claims that he did not want shots to be fired and that is why he pushed the weapon away. His lawyer requested that he be released so that he can ‘return to his normal life and work on his physical and mental recovery’. The Public Prosecution Service opposed this, but the court decided to suspend him under certain conditions.
Van O. was in a coma for a while. After he woke up, he told police that his group was threatened with a gun while purchasing weed. During the hearing he said that he still has a broken neck and is ‘very sorry about what happened’.
The devastation after the ghost ride was great.