Car attempts to ram bus carrying Dutch Queen & family

by mudricky | April 30, 2009 at 04:11 am

2576 views | 100 Recommendations | 11 comments

A car has tried to crash into a bus that was carrying Queen Beatrix and members of the Dutch royal family.

It missed and the car slammed into a monument.

It's been reported that people have been hurt and killed (4 killed - Sky News) as the car drove at a high speed towards the bus.

Unconfirmed reports said the driver deliberately tried to ram an open bus carrying Queen Beatrix, but missed.
The black Suzuki injured at least 14 people before crashing into a monument.

The royals were attending celebrations for the Queen's Day national holiday in the city of Apeldoorn, about 90km (56 miles) from Amsterdam.

Four people are reported to have been killed and several hurt in The Netherlands after a car careered into spectators watching a royal motorcade.
A photographer said the car appeared to be deliberately driving at high speed toward an open bus carrying Queen Beatrix and her family in the western Dutch city of Apeldoorn.

Cynthia Boll said she saw about 20 people "flying through the air" after the black car swerved across police railings, where crowds of people were waiting to see the queen pass.

The car slammed into a monument. Video footage showed police removing a man from the vehicle and putting him into an ambulance.

The royal bus was not hit and no one in the queen's entourage was injured.

People have been tweeting about the crash, saying the royals saw what happened and were shocked.

People were lining railings five or six deep to see the royal family pass on its way to a palace. The motorcade was part of celebrations for the annual national holiday of Queen's Day.

Police had no immediate comment on the reason for the incident or on the casualties.

4 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

gerrypopplestone

at 05:47 on April 30th, 2009

I'm not a royalist - don't support these outmoded institutions, but Beatrix is pretty harmless (although less progressive than her forebears).

Iffy (not verified)

at 07:21 on April 30th, 2009

Notice how fit the Dutch police look? You can imagine if these were American cops, barely able to waddle over to help the injured.

Fuck You (not verified)

at 18:46 on May 3rd, 2009

America isn't the fattest country in the world you know.

Jarrett Martineau

at 11:01 on April 30th, 2009

hidflect

at 11:38 on April 30th, 2009

All speculation at this point...

As a major shareholder in Shell, the company that maintains the kleptocracy in Nigeria over its impoverished people, I wouldn't call Beatrice harmless (sorry gerrypopplestone). And when I lived in The Netherlands it was commonly understood that Beatrice is a real Queen b1tch money grabber. But if the guy had a beef with her he should've started a protest web page not a ram-attack. No excuse for any violence there...

So, I just can't see someone killing a bunch of innocent people to get to her. It seems outlandish. Moreover, if it was deliberate, the fact he used a Suzuki proves he's mad. It's the one Japanese made car I'd be embarrassed (and nervous) to travel in. Concertina's have better folding resistance. Would one think there's a possibility he had some sort of seizure or heart attack(?) If you want to hit a bus, wouldn't you go out and rent something sturdier for the day (with full insurance).

anarkissed

at 12:11 on April 30th, 2009

The car looks to have been seriously damaged by the time it appears on camera, is that from hitting people? I'm so sorry to all the folks of Holland as well as Appledoorn for this experience. It's a terrible thing. I'll have to check with relatives to see if anyone in my family were there, although I think they all live other places.

skintone

at 06:17 on May 1st, 2009

Apeldoorn is near the site of a monument to Operation Manna, unveiled a few years ago to commemorate the Allies food relief mission that saved millions of Dutch lives near the end of WWII. Operation Manna began on April 29, 1945 and ended May 7, 1945. I did a story about the mission a few days ago... http://my.nowpublic.com/world/food-heaven-saved-millions-dutch-0

My heart goes out to the people of Holland after this terrible incident.

Uwe Paschen

at 02:15 on May 1st, 2009

Could it be that this was actually an accident? People have been know to lose control of their cars before and further he or she could have had a heard attack or a malaise.

mudricky

at 06:31 on May 1st, 2009

Afraid to say the man told the police his intent before he died. He had lost his job and about to lose his house and that is believed to push him to do what he did yesterday.

The suspect, a 38-year-old identified by Dutch media as Karst Tates, had been in critical condition since the attack during the Netherlands Queen's Day holiday yesterday.

Before his death he reportedly confessed to police that his actions were aimed at the royal family.

Tates rammed his car into the foot of a monument after mowing down people gathered for the annual royal procession in the central city of Apeldoorn.

Uwe Paschen

at 16:15 on May 1st, 2009

Well he took the lives of 5 to 6 people with him and there is no validity in that what so ever no matter the pain and distress he may have been under that turned into anger.

Babel-Fish

at 18:11 on May 1st, 2009

Having lived in the Haigh, I noted that Queen Beatrix rides her bicycle around the city, she is certainly does not fit in the normal Royalty pigeon hole. I can not see why anybody would of wanted to kill her, she is loved for being more a normal person and citizen than being someone of Royal status behind locked gates etc. No one actually takes any notice of her going shopping etc, its normal and there is nothing formal or aloofness about her whatso ever. As for money a money grabber its not how I see this fruggal Royal.

I expect the driver was not in the best of mental health, possibly the barriers and I expect a traffic holdup was the last straw of a pattern of unfortunate events. A Berseck manic behind the wheel so to speak.