Temse (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A serious traffic accident took four lives in Elversele near Temse. Two vehicles crashed directly into one another inside a tunnel located on the N41. Investigators have not established what caused the accident to occur.
Four persons, including two sisters and their children, who were 3 years old and 5 years old, died after a head-on crash happened at the N41 tunnel in Elversele near Temse. The accident happened during the early hours of 2 a.m. while a vehicle of each type collided directly with one another. Mutual hospitalisation delivered the van operator with life-threatening injuries. Officials still need to identify what triggered the accident, and they are currently working on an investigation.
The roads crossing at Legen Heirweg and Dorpstraat in Elversele experienced a traffic accident. The vehicle with Turkish nationals as passengers suffered the accident while traversing the N41 near Temse at Elversele.
Mayor Hugo Maes (CD&V-Open VLD) confirmed the fatalities, stating,
“In one car were 4 people from the same family of Turkish origin. They are 2 sisters and 2 children. They have all died. It is terrible.”
Both victims were children whose ages were 3 and 5 years old. Medical staff have provided limited information about the driver’s identity because the person remains in critical condition. The authorities are currently investigating what caused the crash, but additional investigations are being carried out to establish the exact cause.
What is the history of road safety in the Temse region?
A fatal head-on collision happened on the crucial traffic route, the N41, which serves the Temse region to both commuter and freight vehicle traffic. Road safety concerns in Belgium continue to increase as statistics indicate more people are losing their lives in traffic accidents.
The Belgian Road Safety Institute reports that 487 deaths occurred from traffic accidents in 2022, despite a 4% increase from last year.
Road collisions that happen head-to-head remain infrequent yet lead to serious injuries because of both fast-moving cars and reduced sight at tunnels and intersections. Multiple dangerous locations exist in the Temse municipality based on previous studies that led officials to request enhanced road infrastructure and increased traffic law enforcement.
