Interim Conclusion: Officers Acted Appropriately During Pursuit on Bezuidenhoutseweg

On Thursday, December 4, 2025, three people lost their lives in a tragic traffic accident on Bezuidenhoutseweg in The Hague. The car carrying the victims was being pursued by the police. The investigation by the Rijksrecherche so far has led to the interim conclusion that the officers involved in the pursuit are not to blame.

On December 4 around 4:40 a.m., the police saw a vehicle driving in the center of The Hague that stood out because the driver was speeding. After following the car for some time and noticing that the driving behavior did not change, the police gave a stop signal on Fluwelen Burgwal. This stop signal was ignored, after which the officers initiated the pursuit.

On Bezuidenhoutseweg, the driver lost control of the steering wheel and came to a stop against a tree. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle caught fire. A 21-year-old woman from The Hague was rescued from the vehicle and taken to the hospital with injuries. Three occupants, a 20-year-old woman from The Hague, a 21-year-old woman from The Hague, and a 24-year-old man from The Hague, died.

Investigation

After the accident, an investigation was started under the leadership of the Public Prosecution Service by the Rijksrecherche. This always happens when someone is (seriously) injured or dies during police actions. The Rijksrecherche investigated whether the officers acted correctly during the pursuit.

The officers were heard. Camera footage in the area was also reviewed, and the woman who survived the accident was interviewed. The results of the traffic accident analysis are still pending.

Interim Conclusion

Based on the investigation so far, the Public Prosecution Service concludes that the officers involved acted appropriately during the pursuit. There was a justified reason for the pursuit, and based on the footage and the officers statements, the preliminary conclusion is that they maintained sufficient distance. The fact that the driver lost control of the steering wheel and crashed into a tree is not attributable to the officers.

The Public Prosecution Service considers it important, given the severity of the incident and the commotion it caused among all involved, to provide clarity now. The Rijksrecherche will include the conducted investigation in a file and submit it to the Public Prosecution Service. Afterwards, the Public Prosecution Service will make a final decision based on that file. The expectation that this judgment will not change is such that the Public Prosecution Service has decided to provide clarity already.

The involved officers, the relatives of the victims, and the woman who survived the accident have been informed by the Public Prosecution Service of the investigation results. To protect the privacy of the victims and relatives, no further statements are made.