The truck driver (57) from Mill in Brabant who caused a fatal accident on the A28 near Beilen on July 15, 2022 by unexpectedly stopping his combination, faces a prison sentence of three months. The public prosecutor believes that the man should also be banned from driving for one year.
The man wanted to show his solidarity to the farmers in the Netherlands. That morning, a call from the action group Agractie was shared via his employer: to stop work at exactly 3 p.m. He answered that call. He rolled his car near Beilen and came to a standstill on both lanes.
The trucker from Brabant made another video and shared it with colleagues and friends. Fellow road users were surprised by the unexpected traffic jam.
He did not see that a collision had occurred 500 meters behind him. A 56-year-old van driver from Eindhoven saw the traffic jam too late and hit a 56-year-old motorcyclist from Amersfoort. The latter did not survive the blow. The public prosecutor accuses the Eindhove resident of not having his eyes on the road and therefore overlooking the traffic jam. He has been sentenced to six months in prison and a driving ban of two years. The public prosecutor also speaks of reckless driving in this case.
Fellow road users saw the van swaying across the road, the driver had his head down. The police had previously been called about the driving behavior of the Eindhove resident. The employer had already told the man to take a rest, the employee had already been working for fifteen hours.
Both men appeared at the hearing. The man from Mill showed remorse. While stopped on the highway, he realized he was being stupid. He did not notice the accident behind him.
The man from Eindhoven denied that he was overtired. He thought there was something wrong with the brakes. No technical defect was found on his car. The public prosecutor called the case a ‘typical case’. Two suspects who independently played a role in causing a fatal accident. “Neither of them intended for anyone to die,” the prosecutor said.
The widow and her son exercised their right to speak. “I have lost my father, who was everything to me. He baked pancakes for me and played table tennis with me. I no longer taste the pancakes, the tennis table is rusting in the garden,” said the son.
The mother snapped at the suspects: “It was not bad luck or a higher power. Two men who thought the highway was a playground. I am therefore not open to expressions of regret.”
As a professional road user, the trucker should have known what a traffic jam could cause, the prosecutor said. Driving heavy equipment also requires more caution. The public prosecutor accuses the professional driver of deliberately flouting traffic rules, thereby endangering his fellow road users.
“Demonstrating is a fundamental right, a great good. But there are limits to that,” the prosecutor said. The lawyers believe that reckless driving has not been proven and argue for a lower sentence.
The court will make its ruling in two weeks.