Speeding van driver hits and injures children in Koekelberg

Two children became trapped under a van and needed to be transported to a hospital after it collided with a group of young people in Brussels crossing the road over the weekend.

The accident took place in Koekelberg, Bruzz reports, and the children were freed by bystanders who witnessed the accident and lifted the vehicle out of the way.

According to witnesses who shared their story on social media, the incident happened on a pedestrian crossing on Avenue du Panthéon at about 21.00 on Saturday night. La Dernière Heure reports that the victims were a family returning from the park.

“The children were crossing the zebra crossing in front of a waiting passenger car which was hit from behind by a van that came speeding up,” a witness told Bruzz.

“As a result, the passenger car shot several metres forward onto the footpath, scooping up three children. The van then tried to overtake and ran over two other children and a scooter ended up under its wheels.”

About 20 bystanders immediately went to help and took the keys of the van to prevent the driver from escaping.

The fire brigade later arrived and the children who were hospitalised have non-life-threatening injuries.

“Two injured children were transferred to hospital, as well as an adult in a state of shock, possibly the father,” Brussels fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said.

According to reports, the van driver was speeding and did not have a driving licence. The police, who are currently investigating the circumstances, could neither confirm nor deny this.