Teenage driver airlifted to hospital after train hits car at level crossing

a TEENAGER was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after his car was demolished by a passenger train on an unmanned level crossing.

The 18-year-old driver of a Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4 was hit by the two-carriage train on the Glasgow Central to Stranraer line.

The youth, from Newton Stewart, was flown 90 miles by air ambulance to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow where his condition was said to be “very serious”.

The driver of the train and one passenger were treated for shock, but the other eight passengers are not thought to have been seriously injured.

They remained on board after the crash until the arrival of the emergency services when they were taken to Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer to be checked over. Most were thought to have suffered from shock and bruising.

The collision happened at the unmanned Little Genoch level crossing near the village of Dunragit, five miles from Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, just before 2pm yesterday.

The crossing is manually operated and motorists have to phone before crossing. A signal box about a mile away is manned 24-hours a day

Police, ambulance crews and two fire engines attended at what was described as “a really horrific accident” by one firefighter.

He added: “The vehicle was almost unrecognisable.”

Passing motorists and people living nearby also rushed to help after being alerted to the accident by the noise of the crash.

One man at the scene said: “How anyone came out of that vehicle was a miracle.”

Joe Shepherd, the Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service station manager at Dumfries said: “When we arrived the injured man had been freed. “We were involved in a supervisory role and took care of the scene as far as safety was concerned. We also helped the passengers to safety from the train and assisted them safely along the track. They were all able to walk along.”

ScotRail said the two-carriage train involved was the 11:42am Glasgow Central to Stranraer service.

Rail services to and from Stranraer were disrupted for the rest of the day with replacement transport laid on by ScotRail.

Passengers travelling today were asked to check scotrail.co.uk/disruption for the latest updates.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said a joint investigation into the crash would be carried out with officers from British Transport Police and appealed for any witnesses to contact them on 0845 600 5701.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch will make preliminary checks at the site.