New Year bonfire car crash in Friesland: one man dies

One of the 17 people injured when a car ploughed into a crowd watching a New Year bonfire has died, news agency ANP reports.


Police are continuing their investigation into the incident, which happened in the Frisian village of Raard.
According to news agency ANP, the 42-year-old female driver was not drunk and had not acted deliberately. She had three children, including one of her own, in the car at the time.
Small crowd
Around 40 people were watching the New Year bonfire when the car drove into them. The victims were taken by road and air ambulance to hospitals all over the north of the country.
Several of the victims remain in hospital in a serious condition. The 59-year-old man who died in hospital was one of the village’s population of some 200.
Police are trying to find out how the accident happened. According to one theory, the woman was blinded by the fire and hit the crowd. Others say there was poor visibility.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation