A courier who caused a fatal accident involving a PostNL van in Flanders in 2022 was given a six-month suspended sentence. The widower of one of the victim's asked for the courier to not be punished.
The accident occurred on 16 May 2022 just before 11:00 in Weggevoerdenstraat, in Aalst. The courier (35) had exited the van to deliver a package. The vehicle, with its engine still running, rolled downhill, killing a 59-year-old roofer and a 68-year-old woman.
The van driver tested negative for both alcohol and drugs. A traffic expert was appointed to investigate the accident, and the driver’s licence was revoked.
During the trial, the driver admitted he might have forgotten to apply the handbrake. The expert report confirmed the handbrake was functioning correctly.
The court acknowledged that the driver’s failure to apply the handbrake was likely an oversight. "It should be considered a human error, something that could happen to anyone," the court stated.
'Nothing will bring my husband back'
The court sentenced the courier to a six-month suspended prison term, a two-year driving ban, and a €4,000 fine. The driver must retake all driving exams.
The court recognised the profound impact the incident had on the driver, noting the distress caused to both the driver and the victims’ families.
The prosecution had sought a twelve-month prison sentence, while the defence advocated for community service. The roofer’s widow, however, pleaded for the man to not be punished: "He doesn’t need to be punished. He already carries the guilt for two deaths. Nothing will bring my husband back."
Speaking to VRT, the widower suggested that the true cause of the accident was the pressure couriers face at their job."If you look at what those couriers of parcels have to deliver in an hour, everything has to go so fast. The cause of the accident is the workload those parcel couriers are under," she said.
The employer and the insurance company must pay a total compensation of €102,000 and €4,500 in legal fees to the civil parties.
The court appointed an expert to assess the driver’s physical and mental fitness to drive, with further proceedings delayed until 19 May next year.
