One dead after train and truck collide

Rail crossing collision near Woodville

Last updated 18:55 19/12/2012
Woodville train crash
Wreckage is removed from the crash scene.

Relevant offers

A man is dead after the light truck he was driving was hit by a train at an uncontrolled crossing just outside Woodville.

The truck and the Palmerston North-bound milk train collided about 5pm yesterday at a rail crossing in Powdrell Rd, about 4 kilometres east of the Tararua town and just off State Highway 2.

The truck ended up being pushed off the crossing onto the side of the tracks, not visible from SH2.

There were no lights or barrier arms at the crossing to either warn or stop the driver, who had firewood loaded on his truck.

Police, firefighters, St John and KiwiRail staff were at the scene.

Police initially thought others could have been in the truck, but later confirmed the driver was the only occupant.

He had to be cut from the cab by fire officers, while rail staff inspected the lines to make sure they were not damaged.

A crane was brought in to lift the damaged truck from the scene.

Powdrell Rd was closed while a scene examination was carried out, and the railway lines were also closed.

Constable Christopher Wakelin, of Woodville, said the crash would be investigated to try to establish why the man drove onto the tracks at that time.

The man is the second person to die at a rail crossing this year, after a Kaponga farmer’s ute was struck by a freight train in Taranaki.

The crash came on the same day KiwiRail and the Chris Cairns Foundation launched a rail safety campaign, urging people to take care near railway lines.

Chris Cairns Foundation manager Megan Drayton said level crossing collisions had been declining, but people still had to be careful.

‘‘Typically, in the period leading up to Christmas, we tend to see a few collisions, possibly due to people being distracted as they head off on holiday.

‘‘We urge people to stay alert over the holiday period, to obey the warning signs at level crossings and to always ensure the line is clear of trains before entering a crossing.’’

The driver of the train would also have to cope with trauma, she said.

‘‘By the time [train drivers] see someone in front of them, there is often little more they can do than sound their horn and hope for the best.’’

The latest incident comes just over a year since Rosalyn Sylvia Yong, and a dog died at a  Horowhenua  level crossing.

Ms Yong, a rail safety campaigner, died when her car and a 500-metre-long freight train collided at Jacksons Rd, near the Koputaroa Rd intersection, north of Levin.

Ad Feedback

That rail crossing also had no lights or barrier arms.

A coroner’s report into that crash recommended either barrier arms or bells and lights be installed at the crossing.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Special offers
Opinion poll

Do you agree with increased oil exploration?

Yes, we need to find out what resources are there

No, it's too risky. Leave the sites alone.

Vote Result

Featured Promotions

Sponsored Content