The driver who fatally hit a pedestrian in Koekelberg on Sunday admits he was wrong, but doesn’t show a lot of remorse.
The driver, Houssem-Eddine B., told his side of the story in the newspapers Het Nieuwsblad and La Capitale today. “I decided to take over the wheel from a drunk friend after a night out. I feel like I’m a victim as well.”
A 30-year-old woman from Brussels died in the accident on Avenue de Jette in Koekelberg. She left Parc Elisabeth in Koekelberg at around 11.30 a.m. and wanted to cross Avenue de Jette via the pedestrian crossing at Rue De Neck. Two vehicles stopped to let the woman cross, but a Volkswagen Polo, with Houssem-Eddine B. behind the wheel, drove past the stationary cars along the right side of the bicycle path and hit the woman head-on. The driver was not under the influence of alcohol but only had his provisional driving license.
“The car in front of me slowed down. I thought he wanted to take the left turn and tried to take him over on the right. I was only going 40 kilometres per hour. Don’t get me wrong; I feel bad about it,” the 19-year-old said.
“We were returning from a night out. A friend of mine was driving; it was her car. But she was really drunk, and going 100 where you are only allowed 50. That’s why I decided to take over the wheel.”
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
