A truck driver died in an accident with a train in Rastede in the Ammerland district. The train hit the truck at a level crossing on Wednesday afternoon, said a police spokesman.
The driver was thrown from his vehicle by the force of the impact. Despite several attempts at resuscitation, the man died at the scene of the accident. The train, which according to Deutsche Bahn was a NordWestBahn, only came to a standstill about 200 meters behind the level crossing. According to the fire department, there were around 200 passengers on the train. About 50 of them went into shock. They were taken care of on site.
According to the police, it is still completely unclear why the truck drove onto the tracks despite the arriving train. According to the police and fire brigade, there was a construction site at the level crossing. Traffic control was therefore operated manually at the time of the accident.
According to the police, the train was also badly damaged in addition to the truck. The amount of property damage has not yet been determined. The railway line was closed in the area. The surrounding streets also had to be closed by the police. The accident created a large debris field on and next to the rails. According to the police, the clean-up work will last at least until Wednesday evening. Around 200 emergency services from the fire brigade, police and technical relief organization worked at the accident site.
