Train smashes into car stuck on Craigieburn line
A driver has been pulled from his car a short time before a city-bound train slammed into the vehicle after it veered onto train tracks when he suffered a medical episode.
The man remains in a stable condition at Royal Melbourne Hospital after the car was struck by the train travelling on the Craigieburn line at Coolaroo, in Melbourne’s north, on Thursday afternoon.
A screenshot from dashcam footage of bystanders watching as a train slams into a car stuck on tracks at Coolaroo in Melbourne’s north on Thursday afternoon.Credit:Dash Cam Owners Aus
Police said emergency services were called to the intersection of Paringa Boulevard and Pascoe Vale Road at approximately 4.30pm after a car mounted the tracks and became wedged when the driver suffered a “medical episode”.
The passenger exited the car and the driver was assisted from the vehicle by passers-by before the train hit the car, police said.
A representative from Ambulance Victoria said the man was taken from the scene by paramedics to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.
Footage taken by a nearby car’s dash cam shows bystanders waving their arms and pieces of clothing in an unsuccessful attempt to warn the driver of the oncoming train.
Onlookers frantically attempt to warn the driver as the train steamed towards the car on Thursday afternoon.Credit:Dash Cam Owners Aus
In a statement, Metro Trains said onlookers should exercise caution in emergencies.
“We thank passengers for their patience while emergency services worked to clear yesterday’s incident in Coolaroo”.
“Bystanders are urged to move as far away as possible during emergency situations and should always maintain a safe distance from the rail line.”
They confirmed that it can take several hundred metres for a train to come to a full stop, even once the emergency brakes have been applied.
Metro Trains said the Craigieburn line returned to normal service at 7pm after emergency services cleared the scene.
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