Two dead after Swedish train crushes taxi
Two people were killed when a train slammed into a taxi in central Sweden on Wednesday, dragging the vehicle half a kilometre down the track following impact.
"There was a driver in his forties and a passenger in the car. They likely died instantly. All that's left of the car is a pile of scrap," Västmanland County police spokesperson Per Strömbäck told the TT news agency.
The accident happened on Wednesday morning between Sala and Heby.
Speaking with the Expressen newspaper, police spokesperson Börje Strömberg explained that the taxi had driven up on the tracks when the level crossing barriers came down.
"Our theory is that the sun was quite low then and that the driver became blinded and didn't see that the barriers had gone down," he told the newspaper.
None of the passengers on the train were reported injured in the accident.
"However, the passengers are naturally in shock," said emergency services spokesperson Daniel Wåhrenberg.
The train, which according to national rail operator SJ was a commuter train on its way from Uppsala to Norrköping, is resting on the tracks while SJ works to arrange alternate transportation.
"It's a smaller train and since it was during the day there weren't that many passengers," SJ spokesperson Malin Nygren told TT.
For the passengers having trouble dealing with the accident, SJ is offering on-site crisis assistance.
Comments
See Also
"There was a driver in his forties and a passenger in the car. They likely died instantly. All that's left of the car is a pile of scrap," Västmanland County police spokesperson Per Strömbäck told the TT news agency.
The accident happened on Wednesday morning between Sala and Heby.
Speaking with the Expressen newspaper, police spokesperson Börje Strömberg explained that the taxi had driven up on the tracks when the level crossing barriers came down.
"Our theory is that the sun was quite low then and that the driver became blinded and didn't see that the barriers had gone down," he told the newspaper.
None of the passengers on the train were reported injured in the accident.
"However, the passengers are naturally in shock," said emergency services spokesperson Daniel Wåhrenberg.
The train, which according to national rail operator SJ was a commuter train on its way from Uppsala to Norrköping, is resting on the tracks while SJ works to arrange alternate transportation.
"It's a smaller train and since it was during the day there weren't that many passengers," SJ spokesperson Malin Nygren told TT.
For the passengers having trouble dealing with the accident, SJ is offering on-site crisis assistance.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.