Road vehicle incursion at Wythall, Tues 06/10/2015

[sprinterguy]

The 21:26 Stratford upon Avon to Stourbridge Junction has been brought to a stand south of Wythall station, following discovery of a white road vehicle, of a size and shape comparable to a Nissan Juke, which had broken through the fence opposite the junction between Station Road/Lea Green Lane/Norton Lane and run down the cutting side, immediately to the south of the Norton Lane road overbridge, to be halted by the ballast shoulder in the cess a couple of feet from the Birmingham bound line. The train, a 3-car class 172/3 unit, has remained stationary around 50 metres from the vehicle.

Depending on how long recovery of the aforementioned road vehicle takes (there was no sign of a recovery vehicle at 23:30 this evening, although both the police and Network Rail staff had been in attendance for an hour or so to assess the situation), I thought that this might be useful information for any readers living on the Stratford line who might need to undertake any journey tomorrow morning.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Covered here by the Express & Star:

PICTURED: Dramatic scene as car smashes through fence into path of oncoming train
This was the dramatic scene when a car smashed through a fence and into the path of an oncoming train.

The oncoming train managed to stop in time to avoid a crash. Pictures: West Midlands Ambulance Service

The train managed to stop short of the vehicle, and emergency services said the driver was 'incredibly fortunate' not to have been hurt.

Paramedics were called to the scene, near Wythall Railway Station in Birmingham just before 10pm yesterday.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Jamie Arrowsmith said: "It is incredibly fortunate that the woman was uninjured and the oncoming train managed to stop short of the incident.

Another image of the scene, from West Midlands Ambulance Service
“The car stopped about a foot short of the track after leaving the road, breaking through a fence and travelling down an embankment.

“The woman, who was the sole occupant of the car, did not require attention from ambulance staff and was discharged at scene.”

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/...ed-dramatic-scene-as-car-smashes-on-to-track/

Could have been very nasty!

 

[sprinterguy]

Glad to see some more information on the incident and to hear that the occupant of the car was not seriously injured. The car had been recovered overnight and left by the road junction this morning, and had evidently taken a heavy impact to the front end (hardly surprising)!

Turns out, fortunately, that the trains are running as normal this morning. The 20:57 Stourbridge Junction to Stratford upon Avon was allowed to continue on its way almost an hour late at 22:48, and the 21:26 Stratford upon Avon to Stourbridge Junction eventually proceeded past the scene at 23:55.

 

[455driver]

Looking at the positioning of the car the train might have managed to get past it, at least it would have been worth a try once there were people on the ground to observe.

Oops silly me they wouldn't have been able to do that just in case it scratched the cars bonnet would they!


I will not comment on it being a woman driver!
or is that a comment?

 

[Bald Rick]

The lady driver of the car has been charged with drink driving according to the BBC.

 

[SPADTrap]

The lady driver of the car has been charged with drink driving according to the BBC.

What a disgrace, book deserves to be thrown at her.

 

[asylumxl]

I don't understand why the size has been referenced to a Nissan Juke, when that is not a Nissan Juke.

 

[najaB]

I don't understand why the size has been referenced to a Nissan Juke, when that is not a Nissan Juke.

I think because the initial reports weren't accompanied by photographs - it was described as of comparable size and shape to a Juke which is a reasonable way to say it was larger than a Micra but smaller than a Range Rover.

 

[asylumxl]

I think because the initial reports weren't accompanied by photographs - it was described as of comparable size and shape to a Juke which is a reasonable way to say it was larger than a Micra but smaller than a Range Rover.

Ironically, the Juke is built on the same platform as a Nissan Micra (Nissan B platform) and isn't much bigger .

That looks like a new-ish Seat Leon or similar.

 

[TheNewNo2]

I will not comment on it being a woman driver!
or is that a comment?

Yes it is, and yes that is sexist.

 

[Darandio]

Yes it is, and yes that is sexist.

Give it a rest.

 

[90019]

That looks like a new-ish Seat Leon or similar.

Nearly there - it's a Seat Ibiza.

 

[68000]

Do NR claim off the driver's insurance company for the costs associated with this?

 

[lovedthelevers]

Do NR claim off the driver's insurance company for the costs associated with this?

Yes, they will be making a claim.

 

[BestWestern]

Yes, they will be making a claim.

Asked many times no doubt, but can/do they attempt to recover the cost of delay penalties, or does the insurer's liability extend only to physical damage?

Would delay recovery perhaps require a civil action and court case?

 

[Bald Rick]

Asked many times no doubt, but can/do they attempt to recover the cost of delay penalties, or does the insurer's liability extend only to physical damage?

Would delay recovery perhaps require a civil action and court case?

Currently subject of a court case.

 

[IanXC]

Currently subject of a court case.

The specific case or the principle?

 

[zaax]

I thought after the Selby rail crash this type of accident should been stopped.

 

[455driver]

A 37 year old prat drove his BMW Z3 along the seawall at Teignmouth this morning until it tipped over the side and landed upside down in the sea, luckily he landed on his head so didn't suffer any injuries!

 

[Bald Rick]

The specific case or the principle?

A specific case (not this one). But you would imagine that the principle set would become case law.

 

[ExRes]

I thought after the Selby rail crash this type of accident should been stopped.

How do you stop accidents ?

 

[DaleCooper]

I thought after the Selby rail crash this type of accident should been stopped.

Quite right, all accidents should be stopped at once!

 

[Saint66]

Absolutely despise those who decide to drink drive, so I hope the book is chucked at her!

 

[lovedthelevers]

A specific case (not this one). But you would imagine that the principle set would become case law.

Yep. It would make a big difference to NR if they could reclaim delay minutes from insurers, specifically in the case of bridge strikes.

 

[Dieseldriver]

I thought after the Selby rail crash this type of accident should been stopped.

It should have because motorists shouldn't be driving whilst unfit. Unfortunately in the real world there are too many people selfish and arrogant enough to disregard human life.

 

[swj99]

Asked many times no doubt, but can/do they attempt to recover the cost of delay penalties, or does the insurer's liability extend only to physical damage?

Would delay recovery perhaps require a civil action and court case?

Depends on whether the insurer accepts liability or not. Sometimes insurers will accept liability, but dispute the actual amount of a claim, in which case it could end up going to court. If the insurer was to agree their client was to blame for the accident, their liability could in theory, extend to all losses incurred as a result of the incident.

Do we know how the accident happened yet ?
None of the news reports I've seen give any details of the events leading up to this.
It would be easy to assume that the fact the driver is reported to have been charged with drink driving somehow means she is at fault for the car ending up there. Which could turn out to be the case, but you never know, it might not. There is a possibility that other vehicles were involved.

 

[Chris M]

Given that none of the news reports mention other vehicles, even in passing, just that the car "crashed through a fence" before descending the embankment it seems most likely that this was a single vehicle accident.
Given the description, the pictures from the scene, and the Goolgle street view images, I suspect that the car was travelling South East along Lea Green Lane and failed to stop at the junction with Station Road/Norton Lane, mounted the pavement and went through the fence.
The street view image is from 2012 so some of the roadside furniture may be different now, but find it unlikely that a car travelling from any other direction would have the necessary momentum to not be stopped by any of it.

 

[sidmouth]

I thought after the Selby rail crash this type of accident should been stopped.

I thought that all potential locations where such an accident "could" potentially happen have been subsequently risked assessed, often leading to addition vehicle restraints (crash barriers) being installed or the existing parapet extended. Such locations could be either side of an existing road over rail bridge parapet.
Vehicle accidents will always happen, the question is if one does occur what is the risk of the errant vehicle crashing onto the railway line, as had occurred at Selby (Heck), and how can it be prevented / mitigated.

 

[Cletus]

A 37 year old prat drove his BMW Z3 along the seawall at Teignmouth this morning until it tipped over the side and landed upside down in the sea, luckily he landed on his head so didn't suffer any injuries!

Some pictures of said car
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-takes-plunge-into-the-sea-at-Teignmouth.html

 

[Chris M]

I thought that all potential locations where such an accident "could" potentially happen have been subsequently risked assessed, often leading to addition vehicle restraints (crash barriers) being installed or the existing parapet extended. Such locations could be either side of an existing road over rail bridge parapet.
Vehicle accidents will always happen, the question is if one does occur what is the risk of the errant vehicle crashing onto the railway line, as had occurred at Selby (Heck), and how can it be prevented / mitigated.

I suspect that this was regarded as a low-risk location that probably didn't justify significant expenditure. It may even be that the roadside furniture was expected to provide some sort of protection (lamp posts and CCTV poles tend to put up some resistance) but either didn't or was missed?