Truck is smashed to pieces by speeding passenger train after driver gets HGV stuck on Polish rail crossing

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 10:50 EDT, 4 September 2026 | Updated: 10:56 EDT, 4 September 2026 This is the horrifying moment a truck is smashed to pieces by a speeding train after becoming trapped between two barriers at a railway crossing.The incident happened in Gdansk, Poland, when an orange HGV was crossing the tracks and appeared to become stuck between the barriers.Footage shows the driver initially attempting to reverse, before opening his door and seemingly spotting the approaching train. He quickly slams the door shut and tries to move forward in a desperate attempt to get clear of the tracks.But he is unable to escape in time and the train crashes into the lorry, ripping apart its rear section and sending debris and sparks flying into the air. The train is then seen grinding to a halt.Miraculously, nobody was killed or seriously injured, although the lorry driver was taken to hospital.Of the 300 passengers on board the train, two passengers and the conductor were examined at the scene before being released.All passengers were forced to self-evacuate following the crash. Footage shows the driver initially attempting to reverse, before opening his door and seemingly spotting the approaching train The train crashed into the lorry, ripping apart its rear section and sending debris and sparks flying into the air The train is then seen grinding to a halt after the collision The accident caused a complete suspension of train trafficThe train had been travelling from the port city of Gdynia, north of Gdansk, to Zielona Gora in western Poland. Pictures taken at nearby Gdansk Lipce station show the aftermath of the collision, with the train's driver's cabin barely visible beneath a mass of wreckage from the truck.Representatives of the Gdansk prosecutor's office told Polish outlet Onet that an investigation has been launched into Thursday's accident on suspicion of 'creating the risk of a transport catastrophe.'The 42-year-old driver, who is a Bosnian national, is due to be brought before prosecutors today, where he is expected to face charges.The crash reportedly caused delays to 279 trains and the damage was estimated at PLN 140,000 (approximately £28,000).The transport office PKP wrote in a statement: 'As a result of the incident, 279 trains were delayed for a total of over 17,500 minutes. 30 trains were canceled on part of the route, and 45 were diverted.' A government representative described the truck driver's behavior as 'extremely stupid,' in an interview with Onet. 'Someone driving a 40-ton truck standing on a crossing while a speeding train approaches? This driver has created a real threat of a land disaster,' Piotr Malepszak said.According to local reports, a similar situation happened the following day, when another lorry driver got stuck between the barriers. Luckily, the incident ended without a collision.Local media reports that this is an area where locals have reportedly been struggling to get the authorities to build separate crossings for nearly two decades.