These were the shocking moments when a day of celebration exploded into horror and death in the small Dutch town of Apeldoorn.
Five people died and eight were fighting for their lives last night after a man drove at speed into
crowds waiting to see the Dutch royal family.
Police confirmed that the unnamed 38-year-old, who suffered head wounds, had been aiming at the bus carrying the royals.
Horror: Shocked bystanders watch as the car knocks bystanders to the ground 
The car ploughs between two police officers, sending people flying
But he was either unable to see through his shattered windscreen or could not steer properly and drove the wrong side of a traffic island before crashing into a stone monument.
The open-top bus passed a few yards away as the royals looked on in horror.
The black Suzuki Swift left a trail of devastation, with bodies lying in the road and frantic rescuers trying to give first aid.
The victims included photographers who had been intent on picturing the royal bus when the car smashed into them.
It had already crashed through a security fence, then carved a passage through the crowd.
It was the Queen’s Day national holiday in the Netherlands and 71-year-old Queen Beatrix and her family were on their way to a palace in Apeldoorn.
Dutch TV showed the queen’s heir, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, and his wife Princess Maxima watching in disbelief from the bus. Maxima held her hand over her mouth in horror.
Moment of impact: The car, already severely damaged, hurtles towards the monument leaving a trail of people in its wake 
The driver, apparently unconscious, is slumped in his car as the royal family (with Queen Beatrix wearing a red hat) look on in shock
Journalist Peter von de Vorst said: ‘It was a really nice day. Then you hear a bang. Everyone looks up and you see people flying through the air.
‘You think this must be a joke or a strange prank. Then suddenly panic, and you realise something really terrible has happened.’
Photographer Cynthia Boll said: ‘You could see it was serious because everywhere was blood and shoes ripped off and people giving CPR.’
As well as the dead and seriously hurt, five people had minor injuries.
Police rush towards the crashed car, with the royal bus just yards away in the background
Police refused to identify the driver, saying only that he was white and had no history of mental illness or a criminal record.
Neighbours said he had recently lost his job and was about to be evicted from his home.
After the crash police found him slumped against his seat with blood running down his face. He was taken to hospital where he was under heavy guard last night.
Officials said a map of the royal route was found in the car.
The royals look on in horror just moments after the crash: From left, Queen Beatrix ( in a red hat), Princess Maxima, her husband Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince Maurits, Princess Anita and Princess Marilene
Investigators used a sniffer dog to check the car for explosives before ruling out a terrorist connection.
As planned celebrations were called off across the country, a visibly upset Queen Beatrix made a rare appearance on national TV.
She said: ‘What began as a great day has ended in a terrible tragedy that has shocked us all deeply. We are speechless that something so terrible could have happened.’
A boot and a bicycle lie in the foreground with at least five people lying injured in the background 
The car ploughed through the crowds, narrowly missed a policeman on a bicycle, and then smashed into the stone monument
Source:
Daily Mail UK., April 30, 2009 
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