Five killed as maniac driver tries to ram queen's bus

Published on Thursday 30 April 2009 22:55

A PREMEDITATED attack on the Dutch royal family left five people dead and at least 13 injured after a crazed driver careered through police barriers and into a crowd of spectators.

A speeding car, dented after smashing through police barriers and colliding with bystanders, narrowly missed an open-top bus carrying Queen Beatrix and her family before ploughing into a monument.

Thousands of wellwishers who had lined the streets of the Dutch town of Apeldoorn yesterday to celebrate Queen's Day looked on in horror as spectators were thrown into the air by the speeding vehicle in the assassination attempt on the royals.

A young girl was last night thought to be among the dead. Celebrations to mark the national holiday were called off across the Netherlands, while flags were flown at half mast.

Onlookers said the black Suzuki car appeared to be being driven deliberately at high speed towards the open-top bus heading through the western Dutch town. The bus was not hit and no-one in the queen's entourage was injured.

Television footage showed Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his wife, Princess Maxima, standing at their seats in the bus's high open platform and watching in astonishment. The princess held her hand over her mouth.

Hundreds of thousands of people flock to the main Dutch cities to celebrate the national holiday, originally brought in to celebrate the birthday of Beatrix's mother, Queen Juliana. The royal family normally spends the day in a small Dutch community.

In a televised address, a clearly-shaken Queen Beatrix said: "What began as a great day has ended in a terrible tragedy that has shocked us all deeply.

"We are speechless that something so terrible could have happened. My family, and I think everybody in the country, sympathise with the victims, their families and friends and all who have been hit so hard by this accident."

Footage of the incident shows the damaged car continuing to be driven at high-speed after crashing into members of the crowd, who were standing five or six deep by the side of the road.

People were thrown into the air as the car swerved across police railings, where hundreds were waiting to see the queen and her relatives. The car was only brought to a halt when it slammed into a stone monument in the centre of the city, about 50 miles east of Amsterdam.

It is thought it had earlier smashed through two sets of crash barriers, smashing its windscreen and damaging the front of the vehicle.

The driver apparently tried to intercept the bus as it turned a corner to a road leading to the gates of the Het Loo palace. The final few seconds were captured on film by news teams.

Hundreds of police officers were on duty in the town as part of a huge security operation that took several months to plan. Photographer Cynthia Boll said she saw about 20 people "flying through the air" after the car swerved across police railings.

She said: "There were people everywhere, you could definitely see that it was serious because everywhere was blood and shoes ripped off and all the people giving CPR."

Local journalist Peter von de Vorst said the incident was like watching a horror film.

He added: "It was a really nice day. Then you hear a bang. Everyone looks up and you see people flying through the air. This must be a joke or a strange prank.

"Then suddenly panic, and you realise that something really terrible has happened."

Police officers removed the injured driver, who was slumped against the seat with blood on his forehead. They pulled him out and put him into an ambulance.

Investigators and a sniffer dog later examined the car for explosives, then sawed off the roof for a closer inspection.

A 38-year-old Dutch man was arrested on suspicion of carrying out an attack on the royal family.

Although the motive for the attack was unclear reports in the Dutch media last night said that the un-named attacker had recently been fired from his job and was due to be evicted from his home.

Police said he had no history of mental illness or a criminal record, but they would not release his name. However, it is understood the driver had a map of the queen's route in his vehicle.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said: "I think that it has become clear that this happened with premeditation."

Ludo Goossens, a spokesman for the Dutch prosecutor's office, said the driver had acknowledged targeting the royal family. He said the man was "formally suspected of … an attack on members of the royal house and manslaughter or murder".

Mr Goossens said there was nothing to indicate any terrorist links to the incident nor were there signs of explosives in the vehicle.

Fred de Graaf, the mayor of Apeldoorn, which lies about 55 miles from Amsterdam, said all of its holiday festivities were being cancelled. "The scare and the images that the family has seen are reason to break off the official programme," he said.

IN DANGER

BRITAIN'S own Royal Family has been at the centre of a number of attacks going back over several decades.

In 1974 a gunman tried to abduct Princess Anne as she and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, were being driven along the Mall in London after a charity film show. Would-be kidnapper Ian Ball forced the car to a halt and brandished a pistol.

In 1981, Marcus Sarjeant, 17, fired six blank shots at the Queen at the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

The most serious breach of security was in 1982 when Michael Fagan broke into the Queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace. She woke to find him sitting on her bed. In 1994, a man firing a starting pistol ran towards Prince Charles at an open-air event in Sydney. Student David Kang fired two shots, then leaped on to the stage at the city's Australia Day celebrations.