2023-11-07 18:27:00
A real tragedy was avoided this Tuesday morning on a level crossing in Wervik, a town located in West Flanders, a few kilometers from Comines-Warneton.
Captured by Infrabel’s technical cameras, the scene sends chills down your spine. At 8:15 a.m., while the barriers at the Molenstraat level crossing were lowered to allow a train to pass, a 15-year-old boy appeared on his bike and slalomed between the barriers. He then finds himself faced with a locomotive which arrives at full speed, but barely manages to pass. Hit in the rear wheel, the teenager cannot avoid falling.
Transported to hospital, he suffered only minor head injuries. A true miracle when you think of what might have happened if he had passed even a second earlier!
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This young man narrowly escaped death. This is yet another unfortunate incident involving road users ignoring the red light at a level crossing.
This incident, which occurred during rush hour, caused some traffic disruptions on the rail since rail traffic between Poperinge and Menen was interrupted for a good two hours.
Level crossings: 33 accidents in 2022, including 11 fatal
And this is not the first incident of its kind, far from it! In 2022, no fewer than 33 accidents occurred on a level crossing, including 11 fatalities. “That’s eleven deaths that might have been avoided. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of respecting the highway code for people’s safety. Some people really misunderstand the speed of an approaching train,” adds Thomas Baeken.
In order to avoid situations like this, a special device was installed this Tuesday morning on a level crossing in Ganshoren. From now on, a “Warning Box” will broadcast a powerful audible warning when people cross despite the closure of the barriers.
Suffice to say that this alarm system would have its place in Wervik…
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