Safety · Kortrijk
Motorcyclist performing wheelie crashes into café terrace in Kortrijk; two seriously injured
On Saturday evening, a motorcyclist lost control while performing a wheelie on Kortrijk's Grote Markt and ploughed into a packed café terrace, injuring four people, two of them seriously.
AI text based on reports by De Standaard, NOS, La Libre.be and other publishers. Published . How it is made
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In brief
A motorcyclist performing a wheelie on Kortrijk's Grote Markt lost control and struck a crowded café terrace on Saturday evening.
Two terrace guests were seriously hurt and taken to hospital, later reported stable. One other customer and the rider sustained minor injuries.
Patrons described the motorcycle speeding and the crash unfolding in seconds. Mayor Vandenberghe expressed horror that children playing nearby might have been struck.
Three motorcycles were seized, and a traffic expert is examining the scene. CCTV footage is being reviewed as part of the investigation.
What happened
Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, three motorcyclists rode onto Kortrijk's Grote Markt from the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat. The lead rider pulled a wheelie, balancing the motorcycle on its rear wheel, then lost control. According to witness Danny Depraetere, the rider "put his front wheel back down, but could no longer make his turn. He got his back wheel caught in the gutter and just kept going." The motorcycle grazed a group of patrons before slamming into tables and chairs at the outdoor seating of café L'Amitié, where the terrace was full of people enjoying the warm evening.
Injuries
Four people were hurt. Two terrace guests suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital, but Belgian media reported later that they were in stable condition. One other customer sustained minor injuries, as did the motorcyclist himself. The motorcycle was described as a total loss, and the café's terrace furniture was heavily damaged.
Witness accounts
Bart Manhaeve, another patron on the terrace, said: "I saw the bike going at a very high speed. It was unbelievable. In two, three seconds time, the accident had happened." He added that bystanders rushed to help the injured, including a former emergency department worker from Ypres. Manhaeve noted that children of terrace visitors were playing on a nearby playground when the crash occurred. "What if the children who were on the square had been hit?" Kortrijk mayor Ruth Vandenberghe said, visibly distressed after visiting the scene.
Reckless riding
Witnesses told local media that a small group of motorcyclists regularly speeds around the area, where the speed limit is 30 km/h. The two other riders accompanying the crashed motorcyclist were reportedly wearing cameras on their helmets, possibly to film the stunt. Café owner Gilles Verhaeghe was too shocked to speak at length, calling the episode "crazy" as he cleared debris.
Investigation
Police cordoned off the crash site and seized all three motorcycles. At the request of the public prosecutor's office, a traffic expert examined the scene. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from cameras on the square to determine the exact circumstances. The investigation is ongoing.
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Sources and context
- De StandaardMotorrijder rijdt in op terras op Grote Markt in Kortrijk: twee mensen zwaargewond
- NOS'Patserige' motorrijder doet wheelie en rijdt terras in Kortrijk op: vier gewonden
- La Libre.be"C'était de la folie" : une moto percute des clients sur une terrasse de la Grand-Place de Courtrai, deux blessés
- De MorgenTwee zwaargewonden nadat stuntende motorrijder op één wiel in terras crasht op Grote Markt Kortrijk
- Danny Depraetere
- Terrace guest at café L'Amitié who witnessed the crash
- Bart Manhaeve
- Terrace guest who described the motorcycle's high speed
- Gilles Verhaeghe
- Owner of Eetcafé l'Amitié in Kortrijk
- Ruth Vandenberghe
- Mayor of Kortrijk, commented at the scene
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