UK News 08-11-2004 Suicide Driver Blamed For Rail Crash who: Thames Valley Police what: Say off-duty officer frantically tried to contact signal box as train approached car on level crossing where: UFTON NERVET when: Saturday snippet: "A death wish motorist who caused the devastating Ufton rail crash was almost thwarted by a brave off-duty policeman," reports The Mirror this morning. "The officer pulled up behind the man`s grey Mazda 323 which was parked on an unmanned level crossing seconds before the Paddington-Plymouth express hurtled down at 100mph." "The officer, who has not been named, made frantic attempts to avert disaster as he saw the red crossing lights flash and the barriers lower," says The Guardian. "He ran to the emergency phone booth and tried to get a call through to the signal box, but before he received any response the First Great Western train came through at 100mph and collided with the car." "The noise was terrifying," graphic design student Jon Stace, one of the 300 passengers on board, tells The Telegraph. "All you could hear was the banging of the rails and the smashing and screeching of the carriages as they ran along the gravel. There was dirt, and glass smashing. It felt as if we spun over. I could feel bodies going on top of me and being thrown different places. I felt my arm go through the window because the glass wasn`t there. I managed to pull my head in but my arm was dragged along..." The car driver was one of seven people killed in the crash near the village of Ufton Nervet on Saturday afternoon. The ITV news website says 19 injured people are still in hospital. [... more]

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