15-Year-Old Driver Crashes Car Into Building Facade in Sint-Truiden
A 15-year-old boy drove a car into the facade of an empty building in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, on Saturday afternoon, injuring himself and two other minors. The incident has renewed concerns about underage driving in the country, coming just weeks after a fatal crash involving minors in Brasschaat.
The crash occurred around 17:00 on the Tiensesteenweg, at the intersection with Gazometerstraat, according to reports from VRT NWS. The driver, a 15-year-old male, lost control of the vehicle for reasons that remain under investigation, sending the car into the front of a vacant building.
Three Minors Injured
All three occupants of the vehicle — the driver and two other minors — sustained minor injuries and went to the hospital on their own initiative for medical checks. The Limburg public prosecutor’s office (Parket Limburg) confirmed that a minor driver was involved in the accident.
“The three occupants sustained minor injuries,” a spokesperson for Parket Limburg said, as reported by local news outlet Truiens Nieuws.
The impact caused significant damage to both the vehicle and the building. Fire services attended the scene to secure the damaged facade and prevent further risks, while a tow truck removed the wrecked car. Cleanup operations caused temporary traffic disruption on the Tiensesteenweg.
Unanswered Questions
Authorities are investigating several key questions surrounding the incident. It remains unclear who owned the vehicle and how the minors obtained the keys. The precise circumstances that led to the driver losing control are also still under investigation by the Limburg public prosecutor’s office and the local police (Politie Sint-Truiden-Gingelom-Nieuwerkerken).
Under Belgian law, the legal driving age for cars (category B) is 18. A 15-year-old is legally prohibited from driving any motor vehicle on public roads. Driving without a license is a criminal offense, and the minor may face juvenile court proceedings. Belgian law also holds parents civilly liable for damages caused by their minor children.
Broader Context: A Pattern of Concern
The Sint-Truiden incident comes barely three weeks after a far more tragic crash in Brasschaat, Antwerp province, on May 16, 2026. In that incident, a 16-year-old boy died when a car carrying five minors, aged 14 to 17, crashed into a tree at high speed — approximately 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. The 17-year-old driver in that case had no driver’s license and no permission to take the vehicle.
The back-to-back incidents have intensified public concern about minors accessing vehicles illegally in Belgium. Questions are being raised about parental responsibility, enforcement of driving laws, and whether additional preventive measures are needed to deter underage driving.
Investigation Ongoing
The Limburg public prosecutor’s office continues to investigate the Sint-Truiden crash. No further details have been released regarding potential charges or the identity of the vehicle’s owner. The names of the minors involved have not been disclosed, in accordance with Belgian laws protecting the identity of minors in legal proceedings.
As the investigation unfolds, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of underage driving and the critical importance of vehicle security in preventing minors from accessing cars without authorization.