Dramatic video footage of the moment that an Arriva train struck a lorry in Leeuwarden on Friday night has emerged online.
Translation by Traci White
In the clip, which is just over a minute long, a lorry appears to be stuck on the tracks at the rail crossing between the Regenboogstraat and De Merodestraat in Leeuwarden. The crossing gates and flashing lights at the crossing were clearly working, but the lorry was not moving. The train struck the tank of the lorry, sending a plume of milk powder flying, and continued around 150 meters further down the tracks before stopping at Achter de Hove. The Arriva train was partially derailed by the collision.
Six people were injured in the collision, including four passengers and the conductor of the train, but reportedly no one required hospitalisation as a result of the crash: the passengers on the train were able to walk off of the train unassisted. The Leeuwarder Courant writes that the Arriva train, which was travelling to Hurdegaryp, struck a lorry carrying milk powder on the grounds of the FrieslandCampus facilities.
The driver of the lorry was able to leave the vehicle before the train struck the vehicle. A person can be seen running toward the train on De Merodestraat prior to the collision, but it is unclear if it is the driver. Based on the angle of the footage, it appears to have been filmed from the FrieslandCampina Consumer Products EMEA building on the Pieter Stuyvesantweg. The video was published by Omrop Fryslân.
Train service between Leeuwarden and Hurdegaryp was brought to a standstill between 8 p.m. on Friday, 11 January and around 4 p.m. on the following Saturday due to the collision. Local police are investigating the collision and have not announced any charges.
