Police tell drivers what to do if trapped in rail barriers after this van video goes viral

CCTV footage has captured the heart-stopping moment a train smashed into a van at high speed after it became trapped on a railway crossing. The video shows an Opel delivery van trying to beat the red lights at a guarded railway crossing in Wola Filipowska, just outside Krakow, in Poland last Friday.

Despite the barriers descending, the van makes a futile attempt to reach the other side, leaving the driver stranded.

With a train rapidly approaching and the van stuck in the middle of the tracks, the driver reverses before attempting to park the vehicle on the side of the train tracks. This comes following reports of another train smashing into a van, causing huge disruption.

However, as the driver moves the van as far to the side as possible, the sound of the oncoming train can be heard, with the driver sounding their horn. Moments later, the passenger-filled train forcefully collides with the rear of the van.

The impact almost completely destroys the vehicle, shattering the back of the van. As the train continues to speed along the tracks, the van is spun around and hurled into a ditch, reports the Mirror.

Incredibly, the van's driver survived the crash unscathed. Malopolska Police also confirmed that no passengers on the train were injured in the incident.

In a statement, the force revealed: "A very dangerous incident occurred last Friday before 7am at a guarded railway crossing in Wola Filipowska (Kraków County). Despite the seemingly serious road accident, the driver of the Opel delivery van was uninjured.

"Passengers and crew on the Świnoujście-Kraków train also reported no health complaints. Investigations into the case are ongoing under the supervision of the prosecutor's office."

Malopolska Police released the shocking footage on Wednesday as a stark reminder to motorists about the importance of railway crossing safety. They urged drivers to halt before the crossing, survey their surroundings and ensure no train is approaching.

If the barriers are descending or the lights are flashing, they warned road users not to enter the crossing.

"Failure to follow these rules can result in a tragic accident. A train can appear at any moment-this is no place to take risks," Malopolska Police said.

According to the Daily Telegraph police stated that drivers should force the barriers open if needed.

The CCTV footage has caused quite a stir on social media, eliciting a range of reactions from viewers. One commented: "When you must choose between two bad options, choose the less bad one. Unfortunately, he chose the worst."

Another added: "This is a PERFECT example of how stupid and s***** 95% of drivers are. Stop on the tracks and risk death instead of breaking that crossing arm. You just can't make this up."

Another user commented: "Careless or idiot driver -> panic kicks in -> they don't want to ruin their car by breaking barriers -> trying to manoeuvre out -> get hit by train anyway."