This is the extraordinary moment when a train smashes into a lorry with two men inside on a level crossing, dragging the vehicle almost 200ft along the track. Footage showed the cab with the driver and his passenger being cleaved from the trailer in a high-speed smash after they drove onto the crossing in Brazil without looking to see whether anything was coming.
Incredibly, the men not only both survived without serious injuries, but were even discharged from hospital the same day after treatment. The injuries of one of the survivors were described as “moderate” by medics, with the other said to have suffered “minor” injuries only.
They have been named locally as Luiz Antunes, 40, and Eduardo Nascimento, 23.
A police patrol car happened to be in the area and could be seen passing by the still-moving train seconds after the accident.
There were no reports of anyone being injured on board the freight train.
The dramatic accident on Tuesday evening happened in Vassouras just south of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Railway operator MRS Logistica said the train driver had done everything possible to avoid the collision and sounded a warning horn, clearly heard above the video footage moments before the crash, as well as activating emergency brakes.
It has launched an internal investigation which will run parallel but separately to the police one.
One social media commentator, expressing the thoughts of many, wrote: “And did the truck driver survive?”
Another said: “The two in the lorry were born again, despite their irresponsibility.”
Last month a van driver survived after his vehicle was hit by a train in the small Polish village of Wola Filipowska as he made a late attempt to clear a level crossing
Police said at the time the accident was a reminder for drivers to stop and look before a level crossing and not to enter the crossing when the barriers began to lower and its lights were flashing.
