Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A vehicle operator driving in Bavegem crashed into a house facade when he failed to navigate a curve. The crash produced no casualties but left behind significant damage to the property.
On Friday evening, a car driver failed to navigate a curve and hit the front wall of a Bavegem house located by Sint-Lievens-Houtem. The Wettersesteenweg played host to the motor vehicle accident at around 9:30 in the evening as traffic approached Wetteren.
The incident resulted in no casualties, yet the house suffered load-bearing damage, which required stabilising support for safety purposes. The driver damaged two cars which belonged to the house residents while crashing into the building facade.
The accident happened Friday evening around 21:30 on the Wettersesteenweg in Bavegem, in the direction of Wetteren. The driver missed a bend and, after 30 meters, via a ditch and a meadow, ended up against the front of a house. He also hit the residents’ cars.
Around 9:30 p.m., my brother and I were startled by a loud bang,
resident Patrick Beeckman tells his story.
My brother Jo had already gone to sleep, and I was working on my computer when I heard a strange sound, followed by a loud bang.
When he went to look, he saw that the hallway was full of debris, and he realised what had happened.
Going out through the front door was not possible. When I went to look through the gate, I saw that a car had driven through the front of our house.
Due to severe structural damage to the house, multiple fire brigades were assisted by Sint-Lievens-Houtem and Zottegem alongside Herzele. Support structures for the house, along with debris removal, took place during the night until after midnight. The mechanism behind the accident remains unclear at the moment. During his statement, the driver denied travelling at speeds above 70 kilometres per hour.
What is the history of road safety in Sint-Lievens-Houtem?
The Wettersesteenweg continues to serve as the primary route that has connected Wetteren to Sint-Lievens-Houtem for many decades. Except for its function as a crucial local road, it poses safety risks because of its winding layout with nearby houses.
Authorities have adopted safety measures consisting of signage and speed limits to decrease potential hazards throughout the years. The most recent road accident, where a driver lost control near a bend during both incidents and struck a house, demonstrates continued safety issues. Previous records indicate that although rare, vehicles leaving the road to cause property destruction was a pattern observed in past accidents.
Fire brigades from Sint-Lievens-Houtem, along with Herzele and Zottegem, have historically collaborated to make the damaged house habitable. The road safety infrastructure within this area requires ongoing attention as well as possible improvements because of this recent event.
