This driver in Belgium ignored signs, bollards, warnings, lights and bells – and paid a hefty price.
We often hear stories of cars being hit by trains and wonder how these could be avoided.
In this clip from Belgium shared on social media website Reddit, a Mercedes-Benz GLC driver shows that no matter how many options you have to avoid disaster, some people just can’t be helped.
The accident, reported by local Belgian news outlet VRT, occurred in Bilzen, about 80km east of Brussels.
As shown in the video, the level crossing was closed to vehicle traffic due to roadworks, but the driver of the Mercedes-Benz drove around the bollards on one side, and stopped on the tracks at the crossing to move the other bollards.
She is approached by a worker who says that driving through the roadwork zone could earn her a €500 ($AU820) fine.
Strangely, the driver moved only the bollard to the left – but not in front – of her car. The worker filming the exchange helps her by moving the other barrier but the woman struggles with her car and doesn’t engage gear.
As the crossing bells ring, the man warns her the train is approaching and hurriedly steps away as a commuter train plows into the the rear of the Mercedes still on the tracks.
The car spins into a pole and is heavily damaged, but in testament to the strength of the SUV, the woman is hurt but alive and is heard to exclaim that her car ‘wouldn’t work’.
During the video you can see the driver reverse then open her door to talk to the train-track worker.
This would have likely engaged Park, and would have required her, with a foot on the brake, to re-engage Drive or Reverse gear to move off again. However the driver can be heard revving the engine, with the car obviously not in gear.
The report from VRT notes the train was heavily damaged in the collision and the 40 passengers on board, all unhurt, took over an hour to be transferred to a bus to continue on their journey.
Rail traffic on the line was reportedly stopped for 18 hours and the damaged train had to be towed away.
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
This incident comes only a day after a car in the US state of Texas was trapped under the boom gate at a level crossing. The family of five escaped just seconds before their Nissan Armada (Patrol) was destroyed by a heavy goods train.
The moral of the story is don’t stop on train tracks – ever.
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