Royal bus crash man acted by himself

dutch police say driver was a recluse

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AN UNEMPLOYED recluse who attempted to crash his car into an open-topped bus carrying Queen Beatrix was acting alone in targeting the Dutch royal family, police said yesterday.

Karst Tates killed seven bystanders and himself when he ploughed through spectators waiting to catch a glimpse of the royal family on April 30, the Queen’s Day national holiday.

Prosecutors say they still do not know for sure Tates’ motive for the attack in the city of Apeldoorn.

Police said the 38-year-old man confessed as he lay slumped and bleeding in his car that he intended to hit the royal family. He went into a coma and died the next day. Among his final words, Tates called Crown Prince Willem-Alexander “a fascist” and “a racist”, said Tom Driessen, of the national investigation bureau.

Willem-Alexander was on the bus with his Argentine-born wife, Maxima, the queen and several other members of the royal family. Hundreds of spectators lined roads leading to the Het Loo Palace.

Mr Driessen said Tates made no attempt to avoid hitting members of the public as he crashed through barriers at 70mph, but that after ramming spectators he veered away from the bus and crashed into a stone obelisk.

“Had there been no spectators, Tates would likely have hit the royal bus,” Mr Driessen said.