New Year’s Eve Chaos: Police Car Destroyed, 8 Vehicles Burned in Veen
A police car was fully engulfed in flames in the early hours of New Year’s Day in Veen, just minutes after police arrived to restore order in the town. This was part of an annual tradition where car owners set their vehicles ablaze during the holiday, a practice that has been happening for decades at the notorious intersection of Witboomstraat and Van der Loostraat.
Police Had Their Hands Full
Earlier in the night, five cars had already been burned. In Veen, this destructive tradition is a yearly occurrence, much to the dismay of many locals and authorities. Over three hundred people gathered for the ‘stoking’ event.
Around 3 am, the police arrived to assess the situation when suddenly, the back window of their patrol car was smashed. Two men were seen pouring a flammable liquid into the vehicle and then setting it alight.
Mobiele Eenheid Deployed
In response, the Mobile Unit (ME) was deployed, and a water cannon was used to disperse the crowd and stokers. Unfortunately, two more cars were set ablaze during the chaos. The ME then created a perimeter around the intersection, allowing firefighters from Giessen, Wijk en Aalburg en Waalwijk to extinguish the flames safely.
The Aftermath
The intersection, a notorious hotspot for car burnings for years, was left looking like a battlefield, littered with charred wrecks and covered in a thick layer of foam. The road surface will likely need to be replaced, a significant cost for the gemeente Altena.
Authorities have not yet disclosed if any arrests were made. The police were unavailable for comment on Tuesday.