Driver Handed Suspended Sentence in Aalst

Aalst (Eurotoday): In May 2022, a PostNL delivery van accident in Aalst killed a roofer and a woman. The driver, 35, received a 6-month suspended sentence and a €4,000 fine.

In May 2022, an blank” rel=”noopener”>accident happened in Weggevoerdenstraat, Aalst, when a PostNL van rolled down a hill. The driver had stepped out to deliver a package but forgot to set the handbrake. The moving van hit a roofer and a woman, nearby checking on roof repairs, and died at that place.

What were the circumstances surrounding the fatal PostNL van accident in Aalst?

The delivery driver, 35, tested negative for alcohol and drugs after the accident. A traffic expert was called in, and his license was taken away. He worked for a subcontractor of PostNL and admitted forgetting to use the handbrake. The expert found the handbrake was working fine. The court stated there was no proof of intentional negligence, attributing it to a simple mistake that could happen to anyone.

The widow of the roofer who died in the accident, Nadine Vanderspinnen, asked not to punish the delivery driver. She said he was worried and had already suffered enough. Nadine called the accident a “stupid accident” and noted that delivery drivers work under pressure. The prosecutor wanted a 12-month prison sentence, but the court gave the driver a 6-month suspended sentence, a 2-year driving ban, and a fine of 4,000 euros.