ProRail announced on Thursday that they would be pressing charges against the driver of the lorry that was struck on the railroad tracks in Leeuwarden by an Arriva train last week.
Translation by Traci White
Northern Netherlands police spokesperson Fred Kammenga told the Leeuwarder Courant that the lorry driver appeared to be unaware that he had parked his truck at a rail crossing. “The driver is a foreigner who was looking for a place to unload his freight on the grounds, and he had parked the lorry while he got out to look.” The police have questioned the driver about the crash, which left six people injured, and the police are consulting with the Public Prosecutor to draw up charges against him.
Following the release of apparent security camera footage of the incident, Omrop Fryslân reports that ProRail has concluded that the crossing gates, lights and bells were all working properly. The vehicle was not stalled on the tracks, as had previously been assumed, but the driver was not able to move the lorry off the crossing before the train struck it.
ProRail has reportedly previously discussed the safety of the crossing with the owner of the grounds: the railway maintenance company has now suggested that closing the crossing altogether may be the safest option.
The police are also seeking contact with two witnesses who were walking through the area at the time of the collision. Two motorists may have also seen exactly how the accident unfolded.
Photo source: Twitter/ProRail
