In the third such accident this week, four people were injured when a train hit a car at a crossing in Welkom in the Free State, emergency services said on Thursday.
ER24 spokesperson Margaret van Eeden said three adults and a young child were travelling between Welkom and Odendaalsrus at about 8.15pm on Wednesday when their car was hit by a train carrying mined rock. The four occupants suffered minor injuries.
”According to the train driver, he approached the level crossing at a slow speed, noticing that red lights at the crossing had been activated to warn any road traffic of the oncoming train.”
Van Eeden said the train driver saw the car approaching from his left and watched closely to see if the driver had seen the warning lights.
”The driver of the car did not stop, so he tried to slow down further and blew his whistle. Unfortunately his attempts to stop the 800-tonne train were fruitless and the train collided with the car just as it came on to the tracks.”
The car doors had to be cut open by fire and rescue-service personnel in order to free the occupants. ”Their injuries ranged from relatively minor to serious, but not critical. All of the occupants were stabilised at the scene of the collision and transported to the regional hospital for further treatment.”
Van Eeden said the occupants were very lucky to be alive as she had seen far worse in similar situations.
Other accidents
Also on Wednesday, a goods train hit a bakkie between Randfontein and Magaliesburg when the driver of the bakkie drove into the path of the oncoming train. The bakkie was seriously damaged, but no one was hurt in the accident.
In Pretoria West, the brakes of a 20-tonne truck travelling down Roger Dyson Road failed, causing it to lose control. The truck crashed head-on into an oncoming Metrorail train and the leading motor coach derailed.
The truck driver was not hurt, but the train driver was trapped for three hours, and emerged with serious pelvic and leg injuries.
The Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) has appealed to the public and motorists to be extra vigilant in the vicinity of railway stations and trains. RSR spokesperson Lawrence Venkile said: ”Road users must behave in a responsible manner and not unnecessarily place innocent people in harm’s way. They must ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and that they observe traffic signage at level crossings.” — Sapa