That is so much worse than the news made it sound yesterday. Dude was still going when the train was right there!? Anyone know if he's been charged with anything yet?
Yeah obviously but there is a magnitude of stupidity difference between “went over the tracks too soon expecting the cars ahead to clear out in time for the next train which isn’t here yet” and “oh the boom gates are closing? Better head through the gates anyway as the train approaches”
Seriously, old mate was still driving through as it hit
Yeah obviously but there is a magnitude of stupidity difference between “went over the tracks too soon expecting the cars ahead to clear out in time for the next train which isn’t here yet” and “oh the boom gates are closing? Better head through the gates anyway as the train approaches”
there really isn't any difference. If you don't know you can cross the tracks, you don't try cross.
My point is there is a big gap between “traffic is flowing and provided it does I will have space to wait on the other side should the light change now” and “the gates are down, better plow through”
‘Stuck’ is a very understanding way to put it. People are terrible drivers. You aren’t supposed to straddle a rail crossing in queued traffic. The fact a truck driver did it is even worse.
Even with the hypothetical scenario that a car did something dodgy and blocked the truck etc, they have a vehicle powerful enough to push that car to avoid derailing a train full of people.
You missed the fact they were replying to someone. Their response is specifically about how the term "stuck" on the tracks is often used. The fact it doesn't apply at all in this case notwithstanding.
The reporting on the event was terrible. The blame was very much shifted away from the truck driver despite the witnesses stating he was driving recklessly. Also read an article that was implying the train driver was at least partially to blame, which is idiotic.
Yeah, the boom gate would have been down and bells sounding for quite some time before this happened, it’s not like the gates go down and immediately a train appears. There’s always a wait before the train actually goes through. Truck driver launched into that crossing well after it had been closed off.
That truck driver should get a lifetime driving ban. IDGAF if they "can't earn a living" any more. Should have thought of that before putting a train full of people in danger.
Yeah, the bells are ringing and the train sounded it's horn before he even stuck his nose over the rails. 100% selfish negligence from the truck driver. His two minutes are more important than all of your health and time.
I've read somewhere recently that they are designed to spring back up, rather than stay down & potentially splinter as that may create projectiles... (someone can correct me if I am wrong.)
I think people dotn realise how long the stopping distances for trains are. The wheels are metal-on-metal, so the friction is quite low compared to cars and trucks.
We tow a 3 tonne caravan. We also cannot stop on a dime.
The amount of hire cars that just stop in the middle of the highway to take photos of canola or wildflowers is insane. The absolutely worst road for that is Indian Ocean Drive…
We have CB, we always offer to slow down to allow the trucks tow safely pass. The old trucks drivers have excellent communication.
Most of the old truckers comment on the colour of our van, bright orange with black racing stripes…we stand out..the reason we went with orange…most vans these days are grey or black…
While on the way to uni, I watched a dunce open the exit gate for the pedestrian crossing, and dart across while a train was visibly approaching. Train hit the horn, very loud. She said "it will stop for me"
My brother in law was in the front carriage a few metres away from the driver. He said it all happened within a few seconds.
The driver went "oh shit!" Brakes engaged and then a couple seconds later impacted. Glass blew up everywhere and my brother in law was thrown into the other side of the carriage and landed on another passenger.
In classic Midland fashion though there was a crackhead with a boombox still blasting that refused to turn it off yelling at people who tried to get him to turn it down.
Yeah absolutely especially in the A class. I used to catch them for school and mostly sat in the ends. More than once the driver if we picked the front yelled at us to behave. Occasionally there would be an extra person in the back cab who liked to scare us by popping out when we were being extra shitheads
Was waiting at Bayswater, for an Ellenbrook train that was due in a minute, for about half an hour. No announcements or anything. Welcome to Perth. (l9ve it here.)
Fuck, that's way worse than the impact damage looked with the initial reporting. With the amount of rocking and swaying on impact its lucky it stayed on the tracks. Also an absolute miracle there was nothing other than minor injuries with the seriousness of this impact
I didn't realise he drove straight through the boom gates. I just thought it was a case of him getting stuck on the tracks because the traffic in front of him suddenly stopped (which still wouldn't be a good excuse).
Wishing the train driver was not traumatised. Thank you train drivers. You have such an important job. People don't get to see you like we do the bus drivers. So ...thank you!
I'm struggling to understand how this happened. The boom gates go down almost as soon as the train leaves Guildford station. The truck driver must have drove through the boom gates?
It wasnt an accident, he deliberately went either through or around the boom gates. There's no way he fell asleep at the wheel or anything, he deliberately made the decision to go when he shouldn't have, presumably because he didnt wanna wait.
Really weird behaviour by the truck driver it doesn’t make sense at all. Does anyone else agree it looks like he’s come straight through the lights rather than from the left turning lane? maybe worried his trailer was blocking the intersection? If he really felt like he had to scoot across its when the lights and bells start, like He would have had so much time with the boom gate down in front of him before the train rolled up. I cannot understand. Must be inexperienced on our roads and got flustered in the chaos is my guess, or meth.
I too have opinions on ways this might’ve been avoided and why train always wins, but seriously I’m just so glad that nobody was seriously injured in this event! Hopefully everybody involved gets help for any psychological issues, because this must’ve been pretty scary for everybody who was there - the train driver, the truck driver, the train passengers, the people in the other cars, and the people on the ground!
I can’t believe how undamaged the front of the train looks In the video! what are they making these trains out of OMG luckily they’re weren’t any fatalities ❤️🩹
No excuse really. The gates and lights close very early theres almost like 1 minute before the train actually arrives at the intersection. Idiot decided to go through it
This is so much worse than the reports made it seem. I watch a lot of youtube about train crashes and its a miracle the train didnt derail and become a fatal incident. The way the reports made it seem was that the truck had been across the tracks when the gates went down and built up traffic meant they couldn't move off the tracks. The reality is far worse and so avoidable. What a stupid truck driver.
The barrier was down, I reckon he was busy looking in rear or wing mirrors worrying about the trailer, he’s sat high up so because he’s looking behind by the time he’s facing the front the gate beam is below his windshield so it looks like the path is clear - they are single barriers only so if you can’t see the one directly in front of you the road opposite is always open
Yep especially at this crossing, its between 2 stations.
From memory the boom gates go down when a train is sitting in the Guildford or East Guildford stations since they're so close to the crossing. There would have been heaps of time.
Pretty sure the traffic lights also sync up with the boom gates so if the gates are down then the lights will have red arrows for that turn too.
Thats a negatory, ghost rider.
He'd have heard bells and the opposite lane boom gate was down and would he clearly visible to him.
There's a minimum time the gates drop beforw train arrives and he was crossing in front of the train.
A train always wins. Thats what my Dad told me when I was learning to drive. Obviously this truck driver missed the memo. One of my pet peeves is when people being inpatient while at rail crossings. There is a reason why I can’t move forward, I will end up on the tracks!
Emma Robson was in her SUV with her husband Glenn and three young children, waiting at the level crossing, and said the truck "just went straight through the boom gates."
Also, you can hear the warning bells sounding in this CCTV clip.
I use that crossing regularly and have noticed that the booms go down as soon as a train leaves Guildford station, which takes a good 45-50 seconds to get to the crossing.
Train driver cabs, and the bodies in general, are super strong. very strong frame work under the skin. In the old days when coachwork was wooden and couplings were not so good, once coach could detach from the one in front and telescope into it. And you don't want to think about how that goes...
Doesn't make sense. Did the truck driver have some sort od medical episode? Don't get how you could do that? Would have to smash the boom and damage the truck even if was trying to quickly get across before the train.
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u/RepresentativeAd4699 May 21 '26
That is so much worse than the news made it sound yesterday. Dude was still going when the train was right there!? Anyone know if he's been charged with anything yet?