Going to Germany by car to stock up on fireworks, many Dutch people make the trip just before New Year’s Eve. Gerben (21) from Nieuwleusen is also preparing for a fantastic New Year’s Eve.
When he was driving in Zuidwolde (Drenthe) and lit a cigarette, things went terribly wrong. When he threw the cigarette out the window, it blew back in. On top of the fireworks and his car was soon ablaze. Fortunately, Gerben can live to tell the story, writes RTL Nieuws.
Clouds of black smoke hang above the burning car and the horn keeps going off. Every now and then a flare flies into the meadow. These are crazy images on the country road in Drenthe. “I had just bought fireworks with a buddy of mine in Germany,” Gerben tells RTL News. The car contained a large 75 kilos of fireworks with a value of hundreds of euros. And now it’s all going up in smoke.
‘Sjekkie’
“We were smoking a ‘sjekkie’. When it was gone, I threw it out the window. But the wind suddenly brought the shag back, and then it happened,” says Gerben. The cigarette landed on a large pile of fireworks and there was a big bang. The two friends quickly parked the car on the roadside and rushed out of the car.
Gerben had to go to the hospital for burns on his leg. Due to these injuries he now walks on crutches. Fortunately, Gerben’s friend escaped without any injuries. The fire brigade attempted to save the car but in vain.
Was this a bad omen for the two mates? Gerben’s friend traveled to Germany again the next morning to buy a new load of fireworks, writes RTL Nieuws.