Overview
- A nighttime speedboat accident in Leiden left a 19-year-old with a serious head wound after he struck a bridge and was taken urgently to hospital, and the minor skipper was arrested on suspicion of operating the vessel under the influence.
- Officers cordoned the scene in Leiden after finding the speedboat with blood on and around it, removed the craft and opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
- In Valburg on Wednesday morning a train hit a taxi used for pupil transport at an unguarded NABO crossing; the two children and the driver were checked by ambulance staff, sustained no injuries and were reunited with their parents.
- ProRail confirmed the Valburg crossing was already scheduled to be closed later this year as part of a national programme to remove or secure unguarded crossings and said extra warning signage had been present at the site.
- Local accounts and recent reporting point to recurring safety gaps: Leiden residents describe frequent late-night high-speed boating and limited water patrols, and authorities say the two incidents have prompted active police probes that could accelerate enforcement and infrastructure measures.