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2 men killed after their car hit by train on crossing in Gifu

11 Comments

Two men were killed after the car they were traveling in was hit by an express train on a crossing in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on Sunday morning.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 5:50 a.m. on the Meitetsu Kakamigahara line. The four-car train was the first in service for the morning and was bound for Shinkani Station, Fuji TV reported.

Police said the car was completely destroyed and said the two dead men appeared to be in their 20s to 50s. None of the 16 passengers on the train were injured.

At the time of the incident, the crossing bars were down and the alarm indicating the approach of a train was functioning, police said.

The driver told police the car suddenly appeared on the tracks and that he applied the emergency brake but could not stop in time.

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11 Comments
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I don't there's enough traffic in Gifu at 6 am to be caught between the bars.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Pretty sure that most of those bars are made of bamboo. This is so you can drive your car through it if you get caught on the tracks.

That should never happen as you are supposed to wait until you have a place to leave the tracks before you start crossing. But I'm sure most people (myself included) don't always wait.

Still, I'm surprised that there was nowhere for them to go, had they indeed been caught on the tracks. Drive to the other lane, push into a car waiting. That seems a far better option. If it was suicide...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Given that the crossing bars were down and the alarm was functioning, DUI or suicide is suspected.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@brianwheway This ain't the UK mate.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Disillusioned: "I've often seen drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists running the gates at level crossings. That minute and a half or so you have to wait seems pretty insignificant when you are dead!"

I've seen people on bikes and pedestrians doing it, but for a car to do it someone would have to get out of the car, lift the bar, go over the tracks, lift the other bar, and go through -- unless they beat the first set of bars to make it on the tracks then were blocked in. But again I can't see why one wouldn't jump out to lift the bar to go through, instead just sitting in the car. Even IF one didn't get out and there was a train coming at me you can bet I'd hit the gas and try to go THROUGH the bars instead of hoping the train stops by some miracle.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Maybe they were just on their way home, driving drunk.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

This also happens in the UK a lot I ve seen a few TV programs about this subject and you can see quite clearly on CCTV that people just drive around the barriers and some are fatal and some are a very close call, it beggars belief that someone will put, not only there life in danger, but others too. and this so called accident is usually caused because they can't wait 3-4 minutes. I would rather wait 3-4 minute and get home safely rather than not at all, lets face it, a tin box of a car against a solid steel lump of a train, its a no brainer who's going to win ever time. what we have forgotten to talk about is the emotional and psychological effects this will have on the poor train drive, will he get any help for his trauma?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I've often seen drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists running the gates at level crossings. That minute and a half or so you have to wait seems pretty insignificant when you are dead!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Yeah, Smith. I'm agree with your comment.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Hassan: they may have been blocked in by traffic in front of them as they tried to make it across before the train, then the bars came down (though why they wouldn't exit the car, I don't know). They couldn't have gone onto the tracks AFTeR the bars went down. It may also have been suicide. It's that time of year

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

"2 men killed after their car hit by train on crossing in Gifu?"

Why aren't they careful?

Sad news for this morning.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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