Two hurt after drunk driver launches car onto railway tracks
A car veered off the A50 at high speed just before midnight Saturday and crashed onto the freight-only Betuwelijn rail line near the Valburg interchange, leaving two people seriously injured, according to De Gelderlander. Police confirmed the incident and said the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
The vehicle was traveling southbound on the A50 and took the exit toward the A15 in the direction of Tiel when it failed to follow the loop. Instead of turning, the car shot straight through the bend at high speed, tore through the roadside berm, and landed dozens of meters away on top of the railway tracks.
Both the driver and the passenger sustained serious injuries and were transported to Radboudumc hospital in Nijmegen. A 112 emergency photographer on the scene described their condition as “seriously injured.” Authorities confirmed the two were conscious and able to speak when emergency personnel arrived.
At the time of the crash, no train traffic was active on the section of the Betuwelijn where the vehicle came to rest. Only freight trains use the track, and none were scheduled during the incident, said a spokesperson for ProRail. While the rail infrastructure itself was not damaged, some pollution occurred in the ballast — the gravel foundation beneath the tracks — which will be cleaned at a later time. Due to safety concerns, train traffic through the area was temporarily halted during the investigation and recovery efforts.
