One should always wait at train crossings because it’s never worth risking your life to sneak through
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by Brad Anderson
December 21, 2024 at 21:01
- A 23-year-old driver survived a train slicing his BMW X5 in half without injury.
- The man ignored lowered boom gates and flashing red lights warning of the train.
- Bulgarian authorities plan to extend boom gates to prevent similar accidents.
After seeing these images of a BMW X5 sliced in half by a speeding train in Bulgaria, you’d probably assume the story ends in tragedy, complete with multiple fatalities. Incredibly, the driver of the German SUV managed to escape without a single injury, despite driving straight into the path of the train at a road crossing. It’s the kind of outcome that feels almost impossible, given the sheer force involved in such a collision.
The incident took place earlier this week near the village of Ravno Pole. CCTV footage shows the driver of the white X5 approaching the railway crossing, seemingly unaware—or blatantly ignoring—that the boom gates were lowered and red lights were flashing to warn of an oncoming train. Moments later, the X5 drives directly into the train’s path before the video cuts out, sparing viewers the immediate chaos that followed.
Read: You Can Only Get This Throwback Special Edition BMW X5 In Canada
Photos shared online by local media show the aftermath of the collision. As the train pushed the BMW into the nearby stop, it split it in half. The rear end can be seen resting in the center of the platform while the front of the X5 was pushed further along the tracks. Virtually all of the windows appear to have been smashed, and much of the SUV’s body has been crumpled.
Amazingly, the 23-year-old driver escaped the collision without any serious injuries. However, had there been passengers in the rear seats, it’s likely they wouldn’t have been so fortunate. The train’s impact left the rear of the vehicle completely exposed, a sobering reminder of how much worse this accident could have been.
According to Plovdiv Press, six people were killed and four injured last year in Bulgaria while illegally crossing railway tracks in similar incidents. This year, the numbers aren’t much better, as three fatalities and ten injuries have already been reported. To curb such accidents, local authorities are reportedly planning to extend the boom gates so that they cover the entire width of the road, making it harder for reckless drivers to bypass them.
Incidents like this happen all across the world and they’re almost always avoidable. Drivers need to remember that no matter how much of a rush they’re in, it’s never worth risking your life, or anyone else’s, by trying to beat a train. When it comes to these collisions, there’s no contest.