10 November 2023 , 16:38
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A 15-year-old cyclist who thought he could race through a level crossing, miraculously survived despite being thrown into the air by the speeding train.
CCTV footage from the railway station shows the teen on a bicycle ignoring barriers, flashing lights and warning bells as he teared through the crossing at speed in Wervik city, in Belgium. At the last second, he looked up and saw the train just a few metres from him as he desperately tried to steer out of the way.
The train was unable to stop and smashed into the cyclist's rear wheel sending him flying through the air onto the road on the other side of the tracks, the footage from Tuesday, November 7 shows. Local media reports that the cyclist was discharged from hospital after treatment for a minor head injury.
The teen went through the barrier (CEN)City Mayor Youro Casier said: "The cyclist ignored all signals: the bell, the red lights and the closed barriers. He put himself in a very dangerous situation. The fact that he is only slightly injured is a blessing in disguise. I hope he recovers quickly and that this can be an important lesson for everyone.
"We should try to avoid such accidents as much as possible. Age plays no role in this. Every road user has their own responsibility. If you take such a risk, you are putting your life at risk. It still happens too often that closed-level crossings are ignored."
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He escaped with minor injuries (CEN)Train services between Poperinge and Menen both in West Flanders province came to a halt, stranded 50 passengers while the accident was investigated. Railway manager, Thomas Baeken said: "We notice that many people underestimate the speed of an approaching train. It only increases the risk of a fatal outcome. Unfortunately, we regularly find that people are gambling with their lives by trying to cross the road.
"In our country, we record an accident at a level crossing every week on average, and there is also a death once a month. These are unacceptable figures."