One person was injured during a hit-and-run at a quayside terrace in the Walloon village of Tournai, near the French border, on Saturday night.
A driver drove his car into a quayside terrace in Tournai on the night from Saturday to Sunday shortly after 03:30, Tournai mayor Paul-Olivier Delannois said. After closing time, the man left the café along the Quai du Marché aux poissons in Tournai, one of the festive venues in the city, where he had spent the night.
"The municipal regulations require bistro owners to warn their customers at 03:30 that they can have one last drink and that they have half an hour to have their drink before the establishment closes at 04:00," said the mayor.
Unhappy at having to leave the café where he was having a drink with a friend, he got into his car and drove it into a terrace where several people were still seated. One customer was slightly injured and had to be treated.
"The man was obviously furious about having to leave the scene. With one slightly injured, we avoided a tragedy, that’s clear," said Delannois.
The driver and his passenger were arrested and deprived of their liberty by the local police. The Tournai-Mons public prosecutor’s office has been informed of the incident, however, it has not yet been confirmed what action would be taken by the judicial authorities.
