Fine and driving ban for postman who rams a flower box three times and drives away (Kruibeke)

A Bpost driver from Kruibeke was given a fifteen-day driving ban and a fine of 1,600 euros by the Dendermonde police judge on Friday. During his newspaper round in Hamme, the man crashed into a flower pot belonging to Frans (69) and Karine (60) three times and committed the hit and run. “He just wanted to finish his newspaper round,” his lawyer pleaded.

On July 19, the man drove into Frans and Karine’s flower pot in Kerkstraat in Hamme for the first time. At first it was thought that it was vandalism, but after viewing the camera images it became clear that a postman from Bpost was to blame. It showed that the man tried to put the newspaper in the mailbox from his car. “While reversing towards Hoogstraat, the car hit one of the two large flower pots against the facade,” says Frans. The flowerpot fell over and rolled onto the street, this time without damage.

READ ALSO: Bpost driver hits a flower pot for the third time and then continues the newspaper round: “We didn’t even get an apology”

It didn’t stop at that one time, because on August 3 and 25 the postman hit the flower pot again. The last collision was fatal, the pot was shattered. The couple reported the incident to the police, who drew up a report. A hit-and-run incident was reported. The driver drove away each time after the three collisions. On Friday he had to answer for this before police judge Peter D’Hondt in Dendermonde. “Do you have something against flower boxes?” the judge asked. “No, I never intended to hit it,” the postman replied. “It would have been simpler if that flower pot had not been there.”

Finish round

The man’s lawyer asked for leniency. “He has already been sanctioned internally for the facts,” he said. “He always just wanted to finish his lap. The last time he hit the flower pot it was 4:30 am. He thought it was too early to ring the doorbell.” The judge was lenient for the first two collisions, but he could not condone the third. He received a fine of 1,600 euros, of which 1,250 euros was suspended and a driving ban of fifteen days.