This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/5380110.stm
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 12 | Version 13 |
|---|---|
| Car driver dies in rail collision | Car driver dies in rail collision |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A driver has died in Yorkshire after his car crashed through a fence on to a rail track and was hit by a train travelling at about 100mph. | |
| None of the 75 passengers on the 1425 Virgin train from Plymouth to Edinburgh were hurt in Monday's collision at the village of Copmanthorpe, near York. | |
| Police said the car left a country road next to the line at about 2055 BST. The driver was a 55-year-old local man. | |
| The train's front wheels left the rails in the crash, but it stayed upright. | |
| Slowing down | Slowing down |
| Virgin spokesman Arthur Leathley said: "Technically, we call that a derailment, and that gives the impression of the train being on its side." | |
| He said the East Coast Main Line train could reach speeds of 125mph, but it was slowing down as it approached York and had been travelling at about 100mph at the time of the collision. | |
| I was right at the front of the front carriage, right behind the driver and as it was hitting every sleeper, just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang Train passenger Dave Lamport | I was right at the front of the front carriage, right behind the driver and as it was hitting every sleeper, just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang Train passenger Dave Lamport |
| The train's driver was uninjured, he said. | The train's driver was uninjured, he said. |
| "These are some of the newest trains on the network and they underwent a lot of crash testing before they came into service," he said. | "These are some of the newest trains on the network and they underwent a lot of crash testing before they came into service," he said. |
| "There is a crumple zone in the nose of the train that is designed to absorb a lot of the force of any impact and it appears that this is exactly what happened." | "There is a crumple zone in the nose of the train that is designed to absorb a lot of the force of any impact and it appears that this is exactly what happened." |
| There was some overnight disruption to services in the York area as a result of the accident, but Network Rail said three lines through the crash scene were now open and normal passenger services had resumed, with minimal disruption. | There was some overnight disruption to services in the York area as a result of the accident, but Network Rail said three lines through the crash scene were now open and normal passenger services had resumed, with minimal disruption. |
| Emergency crews helped lead passengers to safety | Emergency crews helped lead passengers to safety |
| North Yorkshire Police said the car had been on Moor Lane before it ploughed through a fence and onto the track. | North Yorkshire Police said the car had been on Moor Lane before it ploughed through a fence and onto the track. |
| Passengers were taken to York station by bus following the accident. | Passengers were taken to York station by bus following the accident. |
| One passenger, Dave Lamport, from Stockton-on-Tees, said the driver had sounded the horn before an impact was felt. | One passenger, Dave Lamport, from Stockton-on-Tees, said the driver had sounded the horn before an impact was felt. |
| "I was right at the front of the front carriage, right behind the driver and as it was hitting every sleeper, just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang," he told the BBC. | "I was right at the front of the front carriage, right behind the driver and as it was hitting every sleeper, just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang," he told the BBC. |
| He described being thrown about the carriage and "praying" for the train to slow, adding: "Eventually we stopped and we were upright, which was the main thing." | He described being thrown about the carriage and "praying" for the train to slow, adding: "Eventually we stopped and we were upright, which was the main thing." |
| 'Passengers bewildered' | 'Passengers bewildered' |
| British Transport Police, fire and ambulance crews were all called to the scene. | British Transport Police, fire and ambulance crews were all called to the scene. |
| A woman, who lives opposite the railway line told the BBC News website the collision had caused her house to shake. | A woman, who lives opposite the railway line told the BBC News website the collision had caused her house to shake. |
| "We could see a train stopped on the tracks and the passengers looking bewildered," she said. | "We could see a train stopped on the tracks and the passengers looking bewildered," she said. |
| "We ran to the drivers' carriage, which was obviously derailed. One of the drivers got out and asked us where they were... Our houses are so close we were just relieved it hadn't derailed completely." | "We ran to the drivers' carriage, which was obviously derailed. One of the drivers got out and asked us where they were... Our houses are so close we were just relieved it hadn't derailed completely." |
| The collision took place about 20 miles from Selby, where, in 2001, a Land Rover ended up on the rail track, causing a train derailment that left 10 people dead. | The collision took place about 20 miles from Selby, where, in 2001, a Land Rover ended up on the rail track, causing a train derailment that left 10 people dead. |
| Land Rover driver Gary Hart, of Strubby, Lincolnshire, was jailed for five years in 2002 after being convicted of 10 charges of causing death by dangerous driving. | Land Rover driver Gary Hart, of Strubby, Lincolnshire, was jailed for five years in 2002 after being convicted of 10 charges of causing death by dangerous driving. |
| Do you have any pictures of the Copmanthorpe incident? If so, you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk | Do you have any pictures of the Copmanthorpe incident? If so, you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk |
| Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |
| Were you on the train when the incident occurred? Were you nearby and did you see what happened? Please send your experiences using the form below. | Were you on the train when the incident occurred? Were you nearby and did you see what happened? Please send your experiences using the form below. |