A truck driver is in hospital with serious injuries, and at least 11 more people are injured after a train collided with a truck at a level crossing at Colac, in south-west Victoria.
Victorian Police said at 5pm on July 13 that a truck driver was being airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, while a train driver and approximately 10 passengers were being treated for minor injuries.
The collision occurred on the Warrnambool line at the Phalps Road level crossing at Pirron Yallock in Colac, around 3.40pm.
Police said a number of carriages had been derailed in the incident, the cause of which was still uncertain, with an investigation ongoing.
According to media reports the train involved was the 1.21pm V/Line service from Southern Cross.
An ABC report said Police were “positive” about the truck driver’s condition, with Sergeant Shane Howard reportedly saying it was lucky no-one was killed.
“The 100 people on the train and the truck driver need to be buying a Tattslotto ticket this week,” Howard was quoted as saying.
“To be honest, I don’t know how it’s occurred. I can’t explain the driver’s actions until I actually get to talk to him.
“But he’s had a good line of view, so we’ve just got to wait and see.”
The Country Fire Authority said it sent four trucks to respond to the incident, which had downed powerlines and led to the closure of the railway and nearby roads.
V/Line said coaches would replace all trains on the Warrnambool line until further notice.
interesting, it has a stop sign, what is written in the road rules, you stop, look both ways and proceed, you do not take on a train travelling at its permissible line speed which would weigh approximately 260 tonnes, also of interest nothing has been said about the train driver
Unless you are a truck, where you are allow to perform a rolling stop.