Dutch police arrest 34-year-old man after van hits festival visitors

THE HAGUE - Dutch police arrested a 34-year-old man following an incident in Landgraaf in the southern Dutch province of Limburg on Monday morning when a van hit a group of festival goers, killing one and injuring three others.

The man, who is from Heerlen, was arrested in Amsterdam after he had called the police, the public prosecutor announced during a press conference in Landgraaf.

The man drove the van away from the scene after hitting the pedestrians at around 4 am local time (0200 GMT) this morning. The vehicle has been located and is being investigated by police.

Whether the hit and run was accidental or deliberate is still unknown. "We cannot say anything about a motive," public prosecutor Daniele Weymar said. "The suspect is now being heard."

The incident lead to the death of a 35-year-old man from Heerlen, the police stated. A 30-year-old man, a 26-year-old man, and a 23-year-old woman, all from the local area, are severely injured and being treated in hospital.

The incident occurred on a road near a festival campsite.

"This is a terrible incident," Landgraaf mayor Raymond Vlecken said during the press conference. "I want to express my deepest compassion with the victims. What started as a beautiful festival ended in a drama."

The organization of the PinkPop festival said it was "deeply shocked" and also expressed their "compassion with the victims and family". The yearly music festival lasted from Friday until Sunday, with visitors expected to leave the site before noon on Monday morning.