A 20-year-old Frenchman from Mouscron will appear before the investigative judge in Kortrijk on charges of armed resistance and malicious obstruction of traffic, according to the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office, Kortrijk division.
The suspect, who does not have a driving licence, crashed after a reckless police chase in Waregem on Saturday evening.
Federal highway police first noticed the vehicle, a Volkswagen Golf with French number plates, during a routine check on the E17 motorway around 18:47 between Deerlijk and Waregem. The car was speeding, and when police attempted to intercept it, the driver fled at an even higher speed.
During the high-speed pursuit, the vehicle committed multiple traffic offences, including a collision with another vehicle near the parking area at Nazareth/De Pinte.
The suspect then turned back towards France via exits in Ghent before leaving the E17 motorway at Waregem. At the exit complex, the Volkswagen Golf caused another accident, crashing into a Volkswagen ID.4. The occupants of the ID.4 sustained minor injuries.
The Golf overturned, landing on its roof in the central reservation. Despite the crash, its occupants attempted to flee and were aided by a BMW with German plates. Thanks to a witness and swift action by the local Mira police zone, six French nationals were arrested.
Further investigation revealed that the driver of the Golf had no driving licence and had been previously convicted of driving without one. He now faces charges of armed resistance, malicious obstruction of traffic, and driving without a licence.
