Nelly Vollebregt of the association of Traffic Victims expresses her continued astonishment at hit-adn-run incidents,stating,”If people had any idea of what they leave behind,they wouldn’t do it.”
Dehumanizing
Vollebregt, who was personally affected by a traffic accident in 2012 when a driver collided with her bicycle, understands the profound impact of such events.While her own perpetrator was identified promptly, she relates to the experiences shared within the association. “It is, of course, terrible when a loved one, for example, dies in traffic. That is something you carry with you for life. But when the circumstances happen in this way,it is so dehumanizing.”
She believes that when the perpetrator flees the scene, the victim is essentially doubly victimized.”It’s one big drama. Initially, you are deep in grief, searching for: what exactly happened? But you are thrust into a search process for which you have no capacity.”
‘We Must Take Responsibility’
Wijkamp-Hermsen acknowledges that the 12-hour reporting window might be used by some to sober up.However, she contends that shortening this period alone will not resolve the issue of hit-and-run drivers. “we all need to take responsibility for our actions again. And we need to hold each other accountable.”
She references a fatal accident in early July in Schijndel, where a 54-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, traveling together in a car, struck and killed a 79-year-old woman. “I cannot understand how the two of them could decide to drive away.”
