A video captured the moment when a heavy goods vehicle approached a level crossing at high speed amid warning bells, leading to a collision with a train that resulted in derailment. The incident occurred near Chýnov in the Czech Republic around 1:30 pm on Thursday. Despite the train driver sounding the horn, the truck continued forward, causing the train to crash into the cab, crushing it and scattering debris.
The impact was severe, causing one train carriage to derail and come to rest diagonally across the tracks with smoke emanating from beneath it. Emergency services swiftly responded, rescuing 25 individuals from the train, including 20 passengers. The truck driver sustained serious injuries, while the train driver and two passengers suffered minor to moderate injuries, according to local authorities.
The estimated damage from the accident includes £172,000 for the train, £3,400 for railway infrastructure, and approximately £34,000 for the truck. Vojtěch Míra, spokesperson for the South Bohemian Ambulance Service, mentioned that the injured were promptly attended to by ambulance crews and airlifted to hospitals for treatment.
Following an investigation that concluded by 5 pm, efforts were made to lift the derailed carriage back onto the tracks at 7:44 pm before completely removing it from the scene by 9 pm. Rail services resumed normal operations around 11 pm after the necessary clearance and repairs were completed.
