“Runway for cars”: police demand measures after fatal accident Rekkem
Two young Frenchmen were killed in a serious traffic accident in Rekkem on Friday night around 3.40 am. Things went completely wrong at the entrance and exit complex of the E17 near the roundabout. A driver lost control of his vehicle and hit a bridge pier.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. “It couldn’t be much worse. The car was completely folded around the bridge pier. The engine was forty meters away,” said Hans Van Poucke of the emergency assistance zone Fluvia.
One of the occupants had already died, the other was in critical condition. The fire brigade applied emergency rescue to give the second occupant the most urgent care, but he too died shortly afterwards from his injuries.
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The Kortrijk public prosecutor’s office has appointed a traffic expert to investigate the exact circumstances of the crash. The first findings of the expert have already shown that the vehicle of the victims was driving too fast.
“Runway for cars”
It is not the first time that things have gone wrong at the roundabout on the N58. “There are monthly incidents,” said Stefaan Vannieuwenhuyse of the Grensleie police zone. A while ago, the maximum speed was adjusted to 90 kilometers per hour.
But that is not enough, according to the police: speed-reducing measures still need to be introduced, and the lighting needs to be improved. She has been in contact with the Roads and Traffic Agency for a year and a half to discuss structural measures. The study is ongoing, but the result is still pending.