A 40-year-old woman died after being struck by a van driven by her 41-year-old husband in Bourg-Léopold following a festival dispute on Saturday night. The suspect was arrested, placed under an arrest warrant by an investigative judge, and initially charged with assassination as regional prosecutors investigate the fatal incident.
The tragedy unfolded following a couple’s outing to a festival, ending violently on the Kerkhovenweg as the pair returned home.
Festival Return Escalates on Kerkhovenweg
The sequence of events began inside the couple’s vehicle on the journey back from a local festival where an argument broke out. According to regional reports, the 40-year-old victim, originally from Heusden-Zolder, left the vehicle and attempted to continue her journey on foot after the ton escalated inside the cabin.
Her partner, a 41-year-old resident of Lommel, then exploited her vulnerability on the road, striking her with the van around 7:30 p.m. The impact on the Kerkhovenweg in Bourg-Léopold was fatal, and the victim died on the spot from her injuries.
Investigation and Assassination Charges in Hasselt
Law enforcement authorities moved quickly following the incident. Police from the North-Limbourg zone apprehended the suspect shortly after the collision, taking him to the precinct for interrogation. The investigative judge in Hasselt subsequently placed the man under an arrest warrant, incarcerating him on preliminary charges of assassination.
The Limbourg public prosecutor’s office dispatched a dedicated team to the scene, including a traffic accident expert, a forensic doctor, and a laboratory unit, to gather physical evidence. While the current legal classification stands as assassination, prosecutors emphasize that all avenues remain open while the ongoing judicial inquiry determines whether premeditation was involved.
Legal Custody and Defense Position
The suspect has already undergone formal questioning by police services while held in pretrial detention. The ongoing investigation aims to establish definitively whether the woman was struck intentionally.
Legal representation for the driver noted that her client is very emotional and deeply affected by the events. As the judicial dossier proceeds, further findings from the Hasselt examining magistrate and forensic experts will dictate the formal progression of the case through the Belgian court system.
