The Office of the Public Prosecutor in Antwerp has requested a four-year prison sentence, a €16,000 fine, and a lifetime driving ban for French bus driver Bardad B., who was behind the wheel during a deadly BlaBlaCar bus crash in 2022.
The incident occurred on 10 April 2022 when the BlaBlaCar bus, en route from Paris to Amsterdam, collided with a concrete barrier on the E19 motorway near Schoten in Antwerp Province. The vehicle overturned, completely blocking the highway and leaving behind a scene of devastation.
Two passengers — a 29-year-old man from Colombia and a 17-year-old French girl — were killed instantly. Thirteen others sustained injuries of varying severity, with several passengers suffering life-changing consequences, including amputations.
During the investigation, the 35-year-old driver admitted that he had fallen asleep at the wheel. Toxicology tests also revealed traces of cannabis in his saliva and blood. However, the initial police court ruling in 2023 determined that there was no conclusive scientific evidence proving that his cannabis use directly caused the accident.
The court attributed the crash primarily to drowsiness and sentenced Bardad B. to 30 months in prison, with 18 months suspended. He was fined €8,000, of which €3,000 was suspended, and banned from driving for 10 years.
The ruling sparked frustration among victims’ families and survivors, many of whom described the verdict as disproportionately lenient given the driver’s prior record. Court documents show that Bardad B. had previous convictions in France for driving under the influence of drugs (2007, 2021), alcohol (2011), and for possession of illegal drugs (2020).
In response to public and familial outrage, the prosecution appealed the verdict, arguing that the driver’s cannabis use likely contributed to his fatigue and loss of control. Prosecutors are now urging the correctional court to acknowledge a causal link between the drug use and the fatal crash.
Prosecutor Annick De Smet stated that the driver’s actions showed a “pattern of disregard for road safety,” citing his history of substance-related offences. “Falling asleep behind the wheel while under the influence of cannabis represents gross negligence,” she told the court.
The defence, however, maintains that no scientific proof exists to connect cannabis use to the accident. Bardad B.’s lawyer argued that the crash was caused purely by exhaustion and that the original judgment was fair and proportionate. “He made a terrible mistake, but not a criminally aggravated one,” the lawyer said.
The appeal has reignited debate over the legal treatment of drivers who test positive for drugs but whose impairment is not scientifically quantified at the time of an accident.
A final verdict from the Antwerp correctional court is expected in the coming weeks, with the outcome likely to influence future rulings involving drug use and road fatalities in Belgium.
