Driver killed in North Yorkshire as train ploughs into his car at rail crossing

Train struck by car at Ivy Lea crossing at Scampston, North Yorkshire

Hit by 8.48am First TransPennine Express fromScarborough to Liverpool

No reported injuries to passengers but train driver was treated for shock

By Mark Duell and Harriet Arkell

Published: 04:50 EST, 7 May 2014 | Updated: 10:15 EST, 7 May 2014

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A 77-year-old driver has died after his car was struck by a rush-hour passenger train this morning.

The crash happened at about 9.15am on the line at the rural Ivy Lea level crossing at Scampston, near Malton in North Yorkshire.

The car was hit by the 8.48am Scarborough to Liverpool Lime Street First TransPennine Express service. Although there were no reported passenger injuries, the train driver was treated for shock.

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A man has been killed after a smash between a train and a car near a level crossing in Yorkshire this morning

Wreckage: A blue car lies on its side at the scene of the smash at Scampston, North Yorkshire

What looked like the car's boot door appeared to be attached to the side of the train

Scratch marks can be seen along the side of the train, while pieces of the ruined car hang from it

Shocking incident: What looked like a car's boot door appeared to be attached to the side of the train today

Aftermath: Mangled wreckage of the car can clearly be seen hanging off the side of the train

The three-carriage train service became stationary around half a mile from where the overturned metallic turquoise 4x4 now lies in a field, around 40 yards from the crossing.

Chief Inspector Derek O'Mara, of British Transport Police, said: ‘Police got a call to report that a vehicle had been struck by a train at Ivy Lea crossing near Malton, sadly causing a fatality to an elderly male.

‘The point where the road crosses the track is a farm crossing that has phones on either side. People have to ring up a signal box to seek authority to go across the crossing to make sure it's safe.

‘It's too early in the investigation to know whether that has been done or not, so that is one of the leads that we'll be looking at in our investigation with the coroner.’

There were no reported injuries to passengers on the 8.48am Scarborough to London service

Crash site: The incident happened near a level crossing at Scampton in East Yorkshire, near Malton

On the scene: The crash happened at about 9.15am on the line at the Ivy Lea rail crossing in North Yorkshire

Incident: The train involved was a Scarborough to Liverpool Lime Street TransPennine Express service

He added: ‘My thoughts and prayers are with the family. The family have not been told at this stage because we are still in the process of identifying the male.’

'We knew that something bad had happened. I had been on the train for about 20 minutes and we heard a bump'

Anthony Armstrong, train passenger

The 77-year-old man who died is believed to be a local farmer.

Anthony Armstrong, 33, a passenger travelling from Scarborough to York, said: ‘We knew that something bad had happened. I had been on the train for about 20 minutes and we heard a bump.

‘People are a bit shaken up but nobody is hurt.’

Another passenger, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It was a full train and we didn't really know what happened. The police have tried to keep us all there but I've walked off.

‘I couldn't stay. I saw the car door hanging off the front carriage but that's all.’

Driver killed as express train ploughs into his car at railway...

Emergency services at the scene

People are evacuated from the train

Fire and rescue: Emergency services at the scene (left) helped to evacuate passengers from the train (right)

Blocked: Network Rail said all trains to and from Manchester and Liverpool were terminating at York

Ambulance: Although there were no reported passenger injuries, the train driver was treated for shock

Dog walker Annie Wilson told BBC Radio York: ‘There was a gentleman in a car waiting to turn into Ivy Lea, and I stopped to let him go through the crossing - I assume that's where he was going because it's quite a narrow track there, and carried on across the field.

'I heard a loud bang, and then heard all the horns of the train'

Annie Wilson, dog walker

‘I must have been about 400 metres away and I heard a loud bang, and then heard all the horns of the train so I wasn't entirely sure what had happened.’

A BTP spokesman said the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and The Office of Rail Regulation had been informed.

Network Rail said all trains to and from Manchester and Liverpool were terminating at York and the only route out of Scarborough was via Hull.

The subject of safety at rail crossings has been to the fore recently, with the issue being investigated, and reported on, by the House of Commons Transport Committee.