The Public Prosecution Service will not prosecute anyone criminally for the train accident near Voorschoten in April last year. According to the Dutch Labor Inspectorate and the police, investigations have not shown that any criminal offenses led to the accident.
On April 4, 2023, around 3:30 am, a freight train and an intercity collided with a construction crane at Voorschoten station. An employee of construction company BAM was killed.
Nineteen of the thirty injured had to go to hospital. Most were allowed to go home the same day.
The deceased employee was the operator of the crane. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), it cannot be determined why he placed the crane on a track where trains were running.
All work was carried out in accordance with safety regulations. Communication between the staff was also good. There is no reason to assume intent on the part of the crane operator.
“No technical defects have been identified on the crane and there are no indications that the crane operator had become unwell or had deliberately placed the crane in front of the freight train,” the Public Prosecution Service writes. Justice therefore concludes that there was an accident.
Tags: Fatal train accident Voorschoten accident Public Prosecution Service abandons prosecution Domestic
