- Authorities say the driver of the Laguna Coupe failed to clear the car’s windshield that was iced.
- The car’s front end was clipped by the train, ripping out the engine and causing extensive damage.
- Unfortunately, easily avoidable accidents like this are all too common around the world.
The driver of a Renault Laguna Coupe in Poland is lucky to be alive after a terrifying collision with a train, an accident that could have easily been avoided with a little more caution. Like countless other car-train crashes, this one appears to have been caused by a lack of attention and poor visibility. Authorities report that the driver failed to clear ice from the car’s windshield, relying instead on the defroster to slowly melt it away.
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The accident occurred near Warsaw, Poland’s capital, on February 18 at around 9 a.m. CCTV footage from the scene shows the white Laguna approaching the train crossing, seemingly unaware of the approaching train. The car then drives under the lowered safety barrier, and just moments later, the train appears in view.
Watch: What Would You Do If Rear-Ended Onto Train Tracks Like This Jeep Driver?
Fortunately for the driver of the Renault, they were not fully across the tracks when the train came, narrowly avoiding getting collected from the side in an impact that may have completely crumpled the car. Instead, the front end of the coupe was hit by the side of the train. The force of this impact spun the vehicle around and ripped out its engine. Local media reports that the driver wasn’t injured in the crash.
Shortly after authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered the driver hadn’t scrapped off any ice from the windshield and was relying on the car’s defroster to slowly melt it. While this likely impacted his visibility, we can’t imagine he was completely blinded and couldn’t see the road ahead of them.
Devastating crashes like this aren’t uncommon. In the US in mid-January, a black Toyota Prius was filmed blowing through a train crossing in North Miami Beach. In that accident, the rear of the black Prius was hit by the train, but fortunately, the driver walked away without any serious injuries.
Unfortunately, easily avoidable accidents like these continue to happen around the world. A little more caution—and maybe a few minutes spent clearing a windshield—could make all the difference.
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