The victims of the traffic drama in Oud Gastel, in which two young children and two mothers died on Friday evening, were just on their way home. The party had gone for a swim and just before the fatal collision had something to eat to round off the outing. Astrid is friends with the man who lost his entire family in the drama. She can’t comprehend it all yet, she tells Omroep Brabant.
On Friday evening around half past six, things went completely wrong at the intersection of the Blauwhekken with the Roosendaalsebaan in Oud Gastel. Two cars collided with each other. A large Mercedes drilled into the side of a small Toyota containing the victims. The massive impact killed two mothers and two children. A third child was injured.
Not much later, Astrid got a call from her brother-in-law, who brought her the terrible news. Astrid’s husband and her brother-in-law have known the father of the deceased children for fifteen years. “My husband drives sugar beets and the father of the family used to be on the loader.”
“It’s so unfair and so unreal.”
According to Astrid, the father, mother (39), daughter (10) and son (8) formed a close family. “They are such lovely people, so friendly and attentive. This is so unfair and unreal,” she says emotionally. “They were really loved. Not only by us, but especially in their hometown”
Astrid and her husband have warm memories of the family that moved from Etten-Leur to Bosschenhoofd about seven years ago. “We regularly barbecued together or sailed with the boat. We saw the children grow up. Now they are no longer there.”
“He lost his entire family in one fell swoop.”
She has barely slept because all her thoughts are with their friend and his dead family. “It is unimaginable. He has lost his entire family in one fell swoop and another family has to continue without a mother.”
The two mothers had gone swimming with their children and had a meal shortly before the accident. “It is very sad that they have such a dramatic accident on their way home after such a nice outing. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“It’s a really dangerous road.”
Astrid herself does not know the road where the accident happened, but her husband does. He often drives the truck there to harvest the sugar beets. “It is a really dangerous road. Those traffic lights only work halfway at the intersection and people are constantly driving too fast. The road also invites that,” says Astrid’s husband.
Astrid does not yet see how everyone is going to give this a place and move on. “There are so many lives turned upside down, everyone is in deep mourning. How do you get over something like that?”, she wonders aloud. “This is a huge blow to everyone, but especially to the families. Hopefully we can help them in some way.”
The names of the victims are known to the editors. At Astrid’s request we do not mention the names in this article.
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