Yesterday at 8:30 PM • Edited yesterday at 9:01 PM
No King’s Day this year in Veen. Orange association Princess Margriet has canceled all activities after the death of a 34-year-old fellow citizen last Sunday in Wijk and Aalburg. “It’s dramatic.”
“We made the decision out of respect for the victim and his relatives, the impact is very great in Veen,” the chairman of the Orange Association said. “The victim will be buried on Tuesday and we do not think it is appropriate to celebrate extensively on Monday.”
King’s Day is normally one of the highlights of the year in the close-knit village. The fanfare parade, soapbox race and aubade are all cancelled. The Orange Association did not hesitate long to cancel the festivities. “We are not a big city, but a small village with a lot of respect for each other.”
Still a big shock
Almost a week after the fatal accident, the village is still in shock. On Friday afternoon, three young people are staring into space in thought on the Maasdijk in Wijk en Aalburg. The Reformed Church shines behind them in the spring sun. There are a few bunches of flowers on the ground. White freesias, white gerberas and a card that says: ‘This didn’t have to happen, April 20, 2026’.
The 34-year-old victim from Veen was hit by a car. The man had just attended a church service in the Reformed Church and wanted to cycle home over the dike along the Afgedamde Maas.
Tens of kilometers per hour too fast
It didn’t get that far. When he wanted to turn onto the dike from Schoolstraat, he was hit by a car that was driving much too fast. The maximum speed is 30 kilometers per hour. According to a police spokesperson, the car was driving tens of kilometers per hour too fast.
The cyclist later died in hospital. “Drama, drama,” says a Polish man who lives a little further down the dike, shaking his head. On Sunday he heard a car braking very hard and then a terrible crash. “They sometimes drive 100 here. It’s a drama.”
Several people say that people often drive too fast on the narrow dike. The police are still investigating exactly how fast the car was driven on Sunday. The driver’s license has been confiscated. He did not appear to be under the influence.
The victim leaves behind a wife and three children.
Response Egbert Lichtenberg, mayor of the municipality of Altena
“Such a decision is characteristic of a village center like Veen, where community spirit, solidarity and involvement are central. In Altena we are there for each other, in good and difficult times. The mayor and aldermen are also deeply affected by the tragic accident in which a resident of our municipality died. Our thoughts are with the surviving relatives, his wife and children and everyone who was dear to him.”
