Riemst (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A school bus suffered a fatal crash into a tree while operating in Riemst. The vehicle carried the driver together with two to three other riders. One sixteen-year-old needed emergency service personnel to cut him free from the wrecked school bus.
The Maastrichtersteenweg witnessed a school bus accident in Riemst that caused injuries to two people as the bus struck a tree, according to the reports by VRT. The suspected event occurred at 2:15 PM when a 16-year-old boy who served as the bus driver needed help from emergency teams, and a Sint-Gerardus in Diepenbeek bus attendant became involved during the incident. The teenager stayed alert throughout the entire incident, according to information from his mother.
Medical personnel rushed the attendant to the nearest hospital after authorities failed to identify the cause of the bus accident. Officials have implemented a full roadblock, which has been followed by creating a police-controlled perimeter area near the incident site.
At 2:15 PM, the local police zone, Bilzen-Hoeselt-Riemst, got their first report about the bus accident. The emergency personnel, who included fire brigade staff, showed up quickly to hack open the bus door using specialised rescue tools before freeing the 16-year-old passenger.
A team consisting of three people, including the driver, operated the bus, according to Mayor Mark Vos (CD&V), with Sint-Gerardus in Diepenbeek sending at least one supervisor who received medical treatment.
The area witnesses did not hear any crash noises, yet noticed unusual honking moments before the bus crash.
“Apart from the driver, there were 2 people on board,”
said mayor Mark Vos (CD&V).
As reported by VRT, drivers must limit their speed to 70 kilometres per hour at this roadway, although residents identify it as dangerous. The authorities still need to identify what triggered the incident.
Have there been previous accidents or safety concerns on Maachtrichtersteenweg?
Prior authorities identified Maastrichtersteenweg in Riemst as an area with dangerous road conditions. A thorough analysis from local authorities has established that multiple speeding accidents combined with dangerous curves happened in the area, but the school buses maintained a clean safety record.
A driver experienced a loss of control while driving on this road in 2019, resulting in their vehicle entering a ditch; however, no one suffered severe injuries. The local population has raised concerns about limited road visibility during peak traffic times.
