Petrol thief involved in fatal crash had no driving licence

Monday 24 September 2012

The man who drove off from a petrol station without paying last year and, after a police chase, collided with another car, killing the driver, has been driving for 30 years without a valid licence.

'It is regrettable but true,’ Maikel R told a court in Utrecht on Monday.

R drove into another car in a police-created traffic jam on the A2 last October after a police chase. He is in court on manslaughter and attempted manslaughter charges.

R has already been fined for four earlier petrol thefts when he drove off from the garage after filling his car up with petrol, news agency ANP said.

High speed

Police eyewitnesses said he drove off at high speed, ramming a police car three times and ignoring signs to stop.

Police chiefs said in August traffic jam creation should not be used to stop suspects until national guidelines have been established.

The practice of causing traffic jams has come in for considerable criticism. Guido van Woerkom, director of motoring organisation ANWB, said at the time: 'People who knew nothing [about the incident] were involved and one person was killed - all for a couple of litres of petrol.'

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