Daniel Baulisch is the lawyer representing the family of the woman who tragically died as a result of the road accident in Huldange on 25 January. The family is still in deep mourning, as confirmed by the lawyer, who expresses shock not only over the accident itself but also the subsequent errors that occurred. According to Baulisch, emergency services were initially sent to the wrong location.
Baulisch also expressed frustration over the comments made by the director-general of the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) in early February. The lawyer argues that it would have been more appropriate for the director to wait until the ongoing investigation was concluded before making any public statements about internal CGDIS matters.
According to Baulisch’s information, the victim, after being struck on a pedestrian crossing, tragically passed away in the hospital due to the severity of her injuries. The collision also caused her to fall onto her granddaughter, who sustained serious leg injuries.
The driver of the vehicle, however, did not immediately stop after the incident and instead continued driving, according to the ongoing investigation. While Baulisch refrains from labelling the incident as a hit-and-run since the motorist did return to the scene shortly afterward, he emphasises that this was not the appropriate course of action.
“If I injure someone or, as in this case, knock someone down on a pedestrian crossing, it is clear that I must stay and provide assistance”, Baulisch asserts. However, he claims this was not the case in this instance.
It is not only the accident that the family is having difficulty accepting, claims their lawyer, but also the events that followed. Due to a human error by an emergency operator, the ambulance was mistakenly despatched to the wrong shopping centre, at a time when two seriously injured people needed assistance.
An internal CGDIS investigation revealed that the 112 operator was unaware that Luxembourg has two Knauf stores: one in Pommerloch and another in Huldange, where the accident had actually taken place. It was only when the team on-site realised there was no accident in Pommerloch that a second team was despatched to Huldange.
As a result of this error, 16 critical minutes were lost.
The lawyer strongly criticises the response of CGDIS Director Paul Schroeder, who has suggested settling the case quickly and replacing internal consequences with “better training”. According to Baulisch, this approach is misguided. “In this particular case, there is a risk that criminal and civil consequences will affect the CGDIS. That’s why I don’t understand this attitude, which seems to be minimising the situation and brushing people off”, he said.
Baulisch questions the CGDIS director’s response, which seems to indicate there will be no internal repercussions. While he acknowledges the importance of improved training, he argues that it sends the wrong message, especially when a mistake as significant as this one occurs. For him, it is troubling that such a case is being swept under the carpet so quickly, without waiting for the investigation or a formal inquiry.
The lawyer believes the director should have refrained from further commenting on the tragic incident until the judicial investigation, which is still in its early stages, is completed. “It’s clear the courts cannot simply close the case; it needs to be fully investigated, and criminal proceedings against CGDIS could also follow”, Baulisch stated.
At present, the family’s legal representative cannot say whether they will file a formal complaint against CGDIS. However, they will pursue a civil action in order to access the case files and understand how this tragic accident could have occurred. “People have the right to know: What happened? What went wrong? And then we will consider the next steps”, Baulisch concluded in an interview with RTL.
