Kaprijke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Last night, six vehicles collided at the junction where expressway E34 (N49) crosses the Vaartstraat in Kaprijke and leads to Antwerp.
Five vehicles collided in a chain reaction accident near the E34 expressway (N49) and Vaartstraat in Kaprijke last evening. Five people sustained injuries during the accident, and an elderly couple faced the most severe injuries. Medical staff transported the injured patients to AZ Alma Hospital in Eeklo for treatment. Police issued traffic diversions through Lembeke exits because the Antwerp-bound expressway faced total closures.
The accident occurred at the traffic light change when a driver tried to continue moving forward. A second driver approached at excessive speed and rammed the front car, thus starting a domino effect of subsequent collisions.
What is the background of traffic safety on the E34 expressway?
The E34 expressway operates as N49 to serve as the essential link which connects Antwerp to the Dutch border by transporting substantial daily vehicular traffic. Statistics from East Flanders show that the E34 stands among the most congested roads since approximately 50,000 vehicles traverse it daily. Police have designated the Vaartstraat intersection in Kaprijke as dangerous because of its stop-and-start traffic signals and inconsistent vehicle speeds.
The intersection at Vaartstraat in Kaprijke has seen various small traffic accidents this year, yet yesterday’s mass collision was the most serious. Continuing road construction projects have led to additional traffic delays in the area, intensifying worries regarding motorists’ driving habits and compliance with speed regulations.
The police have collected data which shows that high-speed driving combined with improper gap management stands as the primary cause of traffic incidents on this particular road segment.
