A driver died and two others were injured in a collision on the A59 near Waalwijk, Netherlands, early Sunday morning, February 23, 2026, after the driver was traveling the wrong way on the highway. The incident underscores the dangers of wrong-way driving and the potential for serious consequences.
According to police reports, the deceased was an 81-year-old woman from Oosterhout. The crash occurred shortly after midnight in the direction of Hooipolder junction. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The two occupants of the other vehicle, a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman from Arnhem, sustained injuries. Firefighters had to extricate the man from the wreckage before both he and his passenger were transported to a hospital for treatment.
Authorities were alerted to a wrong-way driver on the A59 just before the collision. Upon arrival, first responders found significant damage to both vehicles, with debris scattered across the roadway, including an engine block.
The A59 was closed for several hours between the Heusden and Waalwijk exits while police conducted their investigation. The road has since reopened, according to the ANWB, the Dutch equivalent of AAA.
