One person has died and 20 others have been injured after a concrete mixer smashed into an Intercity train – sending carriages toppling off the tracks.
The lorry collided with the first carriage behind the locomotive at a railway crossing in Sokolniki Suche, Poland, at around 11:30am yesterday (9 September).
The train, travelling from Lublin to Szczecin, derailed in the impact, with the locomotive and several carriages overturning.
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Around 114 passengers and crew were believed to have been on board.
Twenty people were injured, with eight taken to hospital and four initially reported to be in a serious condition.
One female passenger later died from her injuries, as reported by Need To Know.
The lorry driver and train driver were also seriously injured and have so far been unable to speak to investigators.
Preliminary findings indicate the crossing’s warning lights were working properly at the time of the crash.
Investigators believe the concrete mixer entered the crossing despite a signal indicating vehicles should not proceed.
Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak said the lorry driver had reportedly claimed he was blinded by the sun.
Prosecutors are now working to establish exactly what happened and whether the drivers were sober at the time of the collision.
Recordings from the train driver’s cab have been secured, while drones and a 3D scanner have been used to document the crash scene.
Prosecutors said: The captured data will be used by experts.”
They said they are considering opening an investigation into the unintentional causing of a railway disaster resulting in death.
The offence carries a potential prison sentence of between six months and eight years.
Rail services on the affected line have been suspended, with replacement transport arranged for passengers.
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