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Death toll from Queen's Day crash at seven

APELDOORN, Netherlands, May 2 (UPI) -- The Dutch Defense Ministry said the death toll from a suspected attack on the royal family on Queen's Day has reached seven.

The ministry confirmed Friday that 55-year-old military police officer Roel Nijenhuis died of injuries he suffered in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn when a car crashed into a crowd gathered for a Queen's Day parade, CNN reported Saturday.

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The driver of the vehicle that struck the crowd Thursday as Queen Beatrix and her family traveled through Apeldoorn has yet to be officially identified. Authorities said the man, who died of severe head trauma Friday, had been charged with attempting to assault the royal family.

A landlord, identified as Sem Bosman, said the man responsible for the deadly crash had recently lost both his home and his job.

"Recently, he informed me that he had been dismissed and could no longer pay the rent," Bosman said of the unidentified suspect. "He was due to have come today to transfer the keys to a new tenant."

CNN said while no royal family members were hurt, the ministry said 12 people were injured in addition to the seven fatalities.

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