Man from Zwijndrecht passes away as a result of crash involving truck and freight train

A crash involving a freight train and a truck resulted in a 25-year-old man from Zwijndrecht losing his life on Wednesday, police reported. The man was an employee of the freight transport company DB Cargo. Two others were slightly injured by the crash, including the train driver, who the police and ProRail initially thought was seriously injured.

The accident happened at around 1:30 p.m. at a railway crossing on the Zanddijk by the Hooge Zwaluwe in Brabant. The freight train was apparently driving slowly during the incident. According to the police, the fatal victim was "on the head of the train," possibly a kind of balcony around the locomotive. The man from Zwijndrecht was resuscitated but died of his injuries.

A police spokesperson said the truck driver was not injured in the crash. He was arrested for involvement in a severe accident, which is standard procedure for these types of accidents. The cause of the accident is being investigated.

An OVV spokesperson said two Dutch Safety Board (OVV) investigators were at the location on Wednesday to conduct an exploratory investigation into the incident. They will speak to the people involved and collect information based on the available pieces of wreckage.

The freight train had five wagons. As far as is known, no dangerous substances were transported there.