An ill-fated car was smashed to smithereens by not one but two high-speed trains after breaking down on a level crossing.
CCTV shows the Ford Focus grinding to a halt at the worst possible moment, forcing its occupants to clamber out.
Police said they tried to push the car off the tracks – but failed. Responding officers were also powerless to move it.
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Moments later, an oncoming train hurtled into the side of the empty vehicle, causing severe damage.
The mangled wreck was shoved onto the adjacent track, where its streak of bad luck continued.
A camera on the far side of the crossing captured a second train approaching from the opposite direction.
It smashed into the twisted wreck, sending sparks flying – likely from fuel vapours igniting in the ruptured tank.
What little remained of the car was eventually shunted down the tracks, coming to rest about 200m past the crossing.
The double collision happened in Błonie, Poland, on 25 January, with footage released earlier this week.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze that had engulfed the remains of the car and the front of the locomotive, as reported by Need To Know.
Three hundred passengers were evacuated from one train, 290 from the other – neither train derailed, and no injuries were reported.
They were taken to a local sports centre to await replacement services, with traffic on both tracks suspended.
Polish State Railways spokesperson Anna Znajewska-Pawluk said: “In total, 237 trains were delayed by 5,045 minutes.”
Local media reported that the breakdown was reportedly caused by a suspension fault, which made the front wheel and hub come loose – possibly worsened by the large gaps between the rails and concrete slabs at the crossing.
Prosecutor Piotr Skiba added: “So far, no one has been charged. Any significant details that emerge during the investigation will be assessed from a legal and criminal perspective.”
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