Train hits car at Frating level crossing, near Colchester 7/12/2021

[dk1]

An interview with the lady who’s car was hit was on BBC Look East tonight.

 

[w0033944]

Sounds quite frightening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-59560728

A driver said she was "a bit shaken" after managing to get out of her car seconds before it was hit by a train at a level crossing.
The crash occurred at about 07:20 GMT at a crossing at Frating, near Colchester.
Sandra Roscoe, from St Albans, Hertfordshire, said she had stopped before the barrier came down, but a car behind shunted her forward and on to the track.
"It all happened so quickly", she said.

Image source, Essex Fire and Rescue Service
Image caption,
Sandra Roscoe said she watched from "six steps away" as the train hit her car
Ms Roscoe, who said the road near the crossing was icy, did not see the train approaching until her car had come to a stop.
"The barriers came down and I just turned to my left and I could see the train coming, so I just got out of the car and came behind the barrier," she said.
She watched "from six steps away" as the train hit her car, pushing it towards a side building.
"To be honest it all happened so quickly, I don't really recall it," Ms Roscoe said.
"The other witnesses were more frightened for me, I wasn't really aware of what I'd done."
Greater Anglia said about 50 passengers were travelling on the train which hit the car.
"Some people from the train came down to see if I was all right," Ms Roscoe said.
"I was, am absolutely fine, no injury. I have always hated going across the train track, because obviously there is always the potential this could happen."
Train services to and from London from Clacton-on Sea have been affected, and a rail replacement service is in place.

Image source, Essex Fire and Rescue Service
Image caption,
About 50 passengers were on the train at the time of the collision, Greater Anglia said
Essex Fire and Rescue Service said "thankfully there are no casualties".
Commander Dave Bond said: "Thankfully the driver escaped from her car before the train arrived, and although the train struck the car, there are no injuries to the vehicle driver, the train driver or any passengers."
Juliette Maxam, media and public relations manager for Greater Anglia, said passengers had been transferred to a "rescue train" at 09:00.

Image source, Richard Smith/BBC
Image caption,
The road near the crossing was described as being icy
British Transport Police and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch will investigate the crash.
All services from Clacton-on-Sea to London Liverpool Street were delayed in both directions, and trains between Colchester and Clacton and Walton were also affected.

 

[Towers]

because it should have been an avoidable crash. its not a freak that in December, officially winter, when its cold (as it was in the region last night) country roads are icy early the next morning.

its fortunate that the only damage is to things that can be replaced and no one was hurt.

Police tend not to be terribly interested in realtively straightforward RTCs these days, this ultimately sounds like just a fairly minor bump which the insurers will sort out. Unless some interest is piqued by the rail aspect of it, which might be the case.

 

[w0033944]

An interview with the lady who’s car was hit was on BBC Look East tonight.

If the interview was in daylight it will have been the one I saw this lunchtime.

 

[Towers]

It does make me wonder. From the way the facts have unfolded it sounds like there might be something funny going on, though that doesn't mean for certain there is. I wonder if the second vehicle was planning on either speeding through or weaving through the barriers and thought better of it at the last minute. It's also possible they hadn't even seen the first car until the last second, particularly if their windscreen was still partially iced....

People rear end other cars all the time, more than likely a simple case of somebody not looking where they were going!

 

[dk1]

If the interview was in daylight it will have been the one I saw this lunchtime.

Yes no doubt. Been out & about all day so only caught up at teatime. Bet she’s buying a shed load of Lotto tickets today.

 

[w0033944]

Yes no doubt. Been out & about all day so only caught up at teatime. Bet she’s buying a shed load of Lotto tickets today.

Indeed.

 

[anglian bloke]

Any images of the damage done to the train?

 

[muz379]

Can't say at this particular location, but last year I was involved in a similar incident in Lincolnshire, A16 High Ferry AHB. Train driver reports car on line, but clear of the running line. Emergency services on way to scene. No damage to the crossing barriers or equipment. One road vehicle had shunted a second road vehicle clear of the crossing, but the impact had put the first vehicle through the boundary fence and was on the lineside next to the track. Services ran at caution passed the location, but the first phone call from the crossing itself was when the Network Rail response staff arrived some 40 minutes later. Not one member of the public or emergency services at the scene thought to use the telephone in the big yellow box to ring the signaller.

I guess its easy working on the railway regardless of grade but particularly safety critical to think to inform the signaller as a matter of course. But when its an alien environment to you its probably not as obvious as should be .

 

[Foggycorner]

I hope the hut didnt have listed building order on it

 

[Spartacus]

People rear end other cars all the time, more than likely a simple case of somebody not looking where they were going!

It's not that, there's roughly 3 versions of the story come from the site, the rear end shunt, a car stopping ahead of the one struck and trapping it on the crossing and sliding onto the crossing on it's own because of ice. It could just be the result of some miscommunications, or it could be the result of someone making things up as they go along, the presence of a Land Rover with front end damage would no doubt clear it up.

 

[mpthomson]

I hope the hut didnt have listed building order on it

Unlikely, it's a typical brick railway hut, one of thousands of basically identical ones and of no architectural merit.

 

[Meerkat]

The plod can be interested in rear end shunts sometimes, particularly if they have a "no such thing as an accident" type campaign on. My sister got points and a fine for nudging someone at a roundabout after they went then stopped. The annoying thing was that it was a pretty blatant whiplash insurance job (almost no car damage and the ambulance man was swearily annoyed at having to waste time taking the "injured" to hospital!)
However if it was icy I doubt they would be interested unless you were blatantly tailgating/speeding - once you lose grip on ice you can slide for miles, there is no realistic way of leaving enough distance to cover all such ice possibilities.
It could have been so much worse - if it was kids strapped in the back or rear passengers in a 3 door.

 

[Donny_m]

Imagine you had to get a kid clipped into a seat out as well, or even worse a dog.

 

[Falcon1200]

However if it was icy I doubt they would be interested unless you were blatantly tailgating/speeding - once you lose grip on ice you can slide for miles, there is no realistic way of leaving enough distance to cover all such ice possibilities.

The first car clearly managed to stop safely at the crossing, it has to be asked why the second vehicle did not, and managed to strike the first car with enough force to propel it onto the track ?

 

[Meerkat]

The first car clearly managed to stop safely at the crossing, it has to be asked why the second vehicle did not, and managed to strike the first car with enough force to propel it onto the track ?

Good point about the first car making the stop, however its possibly ice and then things can get weird - first car could just stay on maximum braking possible, second car over reacts, breaks a bit harder, loses grip.....and once the grip goes its really hard to get it back, it almost feels like you are accelerating!
You dont have to hit a car that hard to punt it a fair way if it hasnt got the handbrake on and the driver doesnt have their foot on the brake or it comes off in the impact.
I do wonder if the first car made a late decision to stop (maybe even changing an initial decision to accelerate) and the second car was accelerating before realising.

 

[GB]

Second car was reported to be a Range Rover or Land Rover, pretty heavy and more mass to deal with on ice.

 

[Bald Rick]

Second car was reported to be a Range Rover or Land Rover, pretty heavy and more mass to deal with on ice.

But bigger brakes and designed for less then perfect conditions.

 

[HSP 2]

In all of the news reports from the press / TV I've only seen it mentioned that the car was rear ended, but no mention of the type of car. The first mention of the type of car that rear ended the white car that I can see was in post #41 by Spartacus.

Looking at the damage to the white car it looks like it must have come to a stop at about 45 degrees to the track as that would explain why the driver had to look to the left to see the train and why looks to be such a mess.

Just glad all are safe and OK.

 

[GB]

Not sure bigger brakes helps much on ice.

 

[Crossover]

Not sure bigger brakes helps much on ice.

Correct!

 

[andrew749]

Even the best ABS system will not bring a car to a stop in zero braking distance, regardless of the surface. All bets are off if the road is icy.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not sure bigger brakes helps much on ice.

My point is that the bigger brakes are there to apply a similar level of deceleration to a Range Rover as to any other car. Ie, being a Range Rover doesn’t make it any more or less likely to be able to stop in poor conditions.

 

[43066]

Even the best ABS system will not bring a car to a stop in zero braking distance, regardless of the surface. All bets are off if the road is icy.

Bringing a car to a halt in “zero braking distance” would be rather fatal for the occupants!!!

 

[WesternS]

The Sansevieria trifasciata seems to be ok though.

 

[andrew749]

The Sansevieria trifasciata seems to be ok though.

The plant and also the driver

 

[GB]

My point is that the bigger brakes are there to apply a similar level of deceleration to a Range Rover as to any other car. Ie, being a Range Rover doesn’t make it any more or less likely to be able to stop in poor conditions.

A locked wheel on ice is a locked wheel no matter the size of the brakes, the only plus side would be a marginal increase in friction due to the normally wider tyres over a standard car.

 

[chorleyjeff]

A locked wheel on ice is a locked wheel no matter the size of the brakes, the only plus side would be a marginal increase in friction due to the normally wider tyres over a standard car.

Wouldn't a wider tyre apply less weight per unit area than a thin tyre thereeby not applying more brake force ?

 

[GC class B1]

Wouldn't a wider tyre apply less weight per unit area than a thin tyre thereeby not applying more brake force ?

No!. The area of tyre in contact with the road does not affect the brake force. The brake force is a factor of the design of the brake system and the force the driver applies to the brake pedal. The ’adhesion’ between the tyre and road is a dictated by the weight on the wheel and the coefficient of friction between the rubber and the road surface (or the ice). Increasing the area of tyre rubber in contact with the road does not increase the adhesion so will not shorten the stoping distance.

A possible factor in the case of ice on a road surface is that narrower tyres would result in a greater pressure exerted on the ice which might melt the ice locally and result in a higher coefficient of friction (I.e. greater grip). I think this is unlikely though.

 

[Bald Rick]

A locked wheel on ice is a locked wheel no matter the size of the brakes, the only plus side would be a marginal increase in friction due to the normally wider tyres over a standard car.

Exactly!