British boy, 12, dies in BMW crash on motorway in Belgium

The boy was with his family in a BMW X5 when it crashed on the motorway close to the French border in Veurne, Belgium

The overturned BMW vehicle that was carrying the family-of-six before the crash in the early hours of Thursday morning (Zaka )

A British boy has died and five members of his family suffered injuries in a horror crash on a motorway in Belgium.

The 12-year-old boy was travelling with his parents and three siblings in a BMW X5 when it lost control on the E40 in Veurne on Thursday morning at around 1am, according to local reports.

The vehicle, which was heading toward the French border, flipped over and landed on its roof in the motorway verge. Emergency services were alerted by the vehicle’s automatic emergency call system.

In a statement issued to The Telegraph, local police said: “There were a total of six occupants in the car. One of them, a 12-year-old boy with British nationality, was thrown out of the vehicle and died of his injuries.”

The rest of the family were taken to hospital, where four were treated for minor injuries. One family member had more serious wounds but is not in a critical condition.

The Veurne division of the West Flanders Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the crash.

The office said: “The first findings show that the poor weather conditions and aquaplaning on the road, in combination with an unadjusted speed, may be the causes of the accident.

“No other vehicles were involved in the accident. The investigation is continuing.”