A 27-year-old man involved in a fatal collision in Overijse on Saturday morning has been placed under arrest and will appear before the council chamber on Thursday, the Halle-Vilvoorde Public Prosecutor reports.
The accident claimed the life of a 62-year-old man from Tervuren. The suspect was under the influence of cannabis, and further investigation is needed to determine if he was also under the influence of alcohol.
The collision occurred at around 09:40 on Brusselsesteenweg, near the Volkswagen garage. A black BMW, driven by the 27-year-old S.V. from Overijse, veered off course for unknown reasons and collided head-on with a Volkswagen, driven by the 62-year-old victim.
The victim was critically injured and transported to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
S.V. was also taken to the hospital for treatment and subsequently detained. A saliva test confirmed he was under the influence of cannabis, which he admitted. A blood test is being conducted to check for alcohol involvement.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the man had previously been convicted twice for drug trafficking: once in 2018, receiving a 220-hour community service sentence, and once in June 2021, receiving a 15-month prison sentence with probation. Conditions of his probation included abstaining from drug use and undergoing treatment for his addiction.
The Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor has withheld further comment on the man’s criminal record.
"In the interest of the investigation, and at the request of the examining magistrate, no further information will be released," the statement added.
