That the man had too much alcohol was revealed today during a first preliminary session in the criminal case against the driver of the van.
The man drove through Oudkarspel on December 12 last year, the day Max Verstappen became Formula I world champion in Abu Dhabi. He hit a group of cyclists while overtaking. Four of them were seriously injured. After a few days, one of the victims (20) died in hospital.
Going home drunk
The driver continued to drive after the accident, but was quickly located. He told the police that he had been watching Verstappen’s race with some friends in the pub. After that he had driven home with his ‘drunk head’, his younger nephew sat next to him.
When he hit something on the way, he was shocked and drove on, he said. At home, he parked his car in the garage and walked the dog with his girlfriend. He told her nothing.
‘No words for’
The man told the court that he found the events terrible for the victims and especially for the relatives. “I have no words for it. When I see the impact this is already having on my life, I can only try to imagine how bad this must be for them.”
His lawyer asked the court to appoint a behavioral expert to investigate the man, who, according to his own psychologist, suffers from a form of amnesia. She also wanted to investigate whether her client was fully accountable when he continued driving after the collision. The court rejected that request.
