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'Deadly' train crossing claims third victim

TT/The Local/dl
TT/The Local/dl - [email protected]
'Deadly' train crossing claims third victim

A man died after he was hit by a train in Stenungsund in western Sweden on Tuesday afternoon, at the same location where two Swedish teenagers were killed by a train in September 2010.

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“We don't know what happened but based on the information we have it was an older man who was hit,” Erik Leveau of emergency services in Stenungsund told the TT news agency.

The man was seriously injured by the impact of the train and was taken to hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The accident occurred in the same place where two 18-year-old women from a nearby school were killed while trying to cross the tracks in September 2010.

The accident took place at an unguarded crossing across the tracks about 500 metres from the school which featured signals and lights, but no booms, and was often used by students to cross the track on their way to and from school.

While the train conductor saw the women and signaled, they weren’t able to get out of the way in time.

The 2010 accident prompted criticism from both the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) and the Swedish Accident Investigation Board (Statens Haverikommission).

A fence was erected to prohibit people from crossing the tracks anywhere but the marked crossing. In addition, several signs were put in placer and road markers were made more clear.

Bushes that obstructed a view of the tracks were also cut back and the signals indicating a train was approaching were reset to be engaged for a longer period of time.

But following Tuesday's fatal accident, the Transport Administration plans to launch another investigation.

“As is the case with all accidents, an investigation is under way so we can see what we could have done better,” agency spokesperson Monica Näslund told TT.

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