South of Hjuksebø, the line slopes downwards towards Holtsås station. The shunter made a desperate attempt to run and catch up with the runaway cars, hoping to jump on it and engage the emergency brake. The shunter was able at first to clamber onto one of the cars, but was blocked from getting to the front of the runaway cars where the crucial brake was located, so he was forced to jump off and try to run alongside it to reach the front. The breakaway cars were now speeding up and the shunter failed to make it. The engine which had pushed the cars followed, after the runaway, hooting a warning signal to warn trains ahead of the danger.