Man dies after car struck by train on Somerset level crossing (From Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News)

4:24pm

3:09pm

3:08pm

THE destroyed vehicle is removed from the scene.

2:51pm

THE full length of the train which struck the car this morning.

2:49pm

THE scene where the train and car came to rest.

2:45pm

Senior Fire Commander Paul Cregan said: "This incident was a significant challenge causing a number of dangerous and difficult circumstances for our Fire & Rescue crews.

"The train struck the vehicle and then carried it along the tracks eventually stopping over a mile from the crossing.

"Firefighters had to run to the scene carrying equipment to deal with the person trapped in the car, deal with the very real risk of a fire occurring as well as dealing with nearly 40 people on the train in terrible weather conditions.

"Each member of the emergency services did their task exceptionally well and together, as a multi agency team, we resolved the incident thankfully without significant injury or disruption to those involved.”

Incident Commander Mark Andrews said: "Our crews from Taunton, Bridgwater, Street, Middlemoor , Wiveliscombe, Wellington and Burnham worked exceptionally hard under difficult conditions to deal with the incident.

"Without their quick response and that of our emergency service partners, the incident could have been much worse.

"My thanks go to our Police colleagues in Avon & Somerset Constabulary, British Transport Police and South Western Ambulance Service as well as the local community for their work, support and patience during this incident.”

2:41pm

2:37pm

ANOTHER view of the crossing at Athelney.

2:34pm

THE train after it returned to Taunton Railway Station earlier.

2:33pm

EMERGENCY services at Taunton Railway Station.

2:12pm

THE wreckage of the car which was struck by the train has now been removed from the tracks near the scene of the collision at Athelney.

1:44pm

12:35pm

KYLE Millett, from Wellington, was also on the train destined for a meeting in London.

He said: "We boarded at about 6.12am. We set off on time.

"A few minutes later we heard a few bumps and the train came to a stop.

"Staff told us there was an incident. The driver looked very shocked and he was with the emergency services. I think he was OK.

"I have to give compliments to the staff because they looked after us very well with food and drinks.

"The worst thing was not knowing what had happened initially. As soon as it happened I could smell diesel from the car. It was an ordeal."

12:32pm

ANOTHER passenger, Lucy Johnson, has praised the actions of the train staff.

She said: "We were very well looked-after. Our thoughts are with the victim and the train driver."

12:31pm

MICHAEL Haley, from Monksilver, was a passenger on the train and regularly makes the journey from his home to London.

He said: "There was a bang. You could tell there was some impact and clattering.

"You could tell the brakes were on and it came to a halt about a quarter of a mile later. It was a sad thing to happen."

12:23pm

FOOTAGE from the railway tracks near the level crossing:

12:14pm

ONE of the train drivers who was in the cab at the time of the collision has disembarked at Taunton Railway Station.

12:12pm

STUART Lambert, from Taunton, was on the train.

He said: "I felt a slight shudder, that was the first I knew and then we were told a car had skipped the level crossing.

"The train company were awesome. They looked after us really well."

Mr Lambert said he was on the train for five hours.

12:10pm

11:52am

11:49am

11:49am

INVESTIGATIONS into how the car came to be struck by the train are focussing on why the vehicle was on the track at the half-barrier crossing on the Somerset Levels.

11:45am

PASSENGERS on the 5.46am service from Exeter to London are expected to disembark from the train at Taunton in the next 10 minutes.

Those who boarded at Exeter will have been on the train for more than six hours. First Great Western staff have been offering passengers tea and coffee in the first class carriage since the incident at 6.30am.

11:15am

VIDEO footage from the scene of the crash:

11:14am

CAROLINE Hall, who lives next to the scene, said: "There was just a bang and the train did not stop.

"It just didn't sound right. My husband went out to see what happened and I called the police straightaway.

"There was lots of debris."

10:27am

THE County Gazette understands the passengers on the train are now being taken back to Taunton train station to disembark.

We will bring you the latest from passengers who were on board the train as soon as we have it.

10:26am

10:26am

10:17am

10:05am

OUR reporters and photographers are at the scene of the incident, near to where the passengers are expected to disembark.

For the latest updates, keep checking this Live Article.

9:57am

STANLEY Chedzoy of nearby Slough Court Farm at Stoke St Gregory, said: "Nothing like this has happened in my lifetime and that's 88 years. 

"There used to be a gate keeper and gates so no-one could get through, but since the Beeching Report in the early 1960s that all changed and they brought the barriers in.

"I am surprised they are only the half barriers, because someone could drive around them, I have always wondered why they don't put full barriers there. 

"I have always thought it is dangerous for animals, as well as people." 

9:45am

9:43am

9:41am

ANOTHER man, who has lived next to the crossing for 20 years but declined to give his name, spoke to our reporter at the scene.

He said: "I have never seen anything like this. It is normally quite a safe crossing."

9:38am

THE County Gazette understands the person who died was a man who lived locally. 

9:33am

NEIGHBOUR Aaron Mead, who lives about 100 yards from the crossing, said: "We heard an almighty bang in the early hours of this morning. A couple of pictures on the bedside table fell over. 

"I didn't think anything of it to be honest, and then before we knew it we had endless amounts of sirens, police cards, fire engines and ambulances bombing up and down the road.

"It made me jump out of bed quite quickly.

"It's quite a tight road but there are four or five fire engines, eight or nine police cars and five or six ambulances from from what we can see on this side of the bridge." 

9:26am

9:24am

SPEAKING at the scene of the incident, John Allen, operations manager at First Great Western, told County Gazette reporter Daniel Milligan there were two drivers in the cab of the train.

He said: "Two people driving the carriage - they will be very distressed and we are doing all we can  to help them."

9:21am

JAMES Hector, owner of Willowbank Services less than a mile down the road from the scene, said: "One of my employees tried to get in from that direction and had to turn around - all the roads around the crossing are closed. 

"There is a police helicopter circling and there are lots of emergency services vehicles at the scene. 

"It's a very fast crossing - once the barriers go down the train is there within 30 seconds. They are half-road barriers so it would be possible to drive around them, but you would have no chance if you did.

"These roads are very dangerous at the moment. Just as during the floods, people don't taking the conditions into account on these narrow lanes."

9:17am

HERE is a statement from Network Rail: “The 1A73 05.46am Exeter St Davids to Paddington service has struck a red car on the Athelney Level Crossing Automatic Half Barrier.

“The incident was reported at 06.26am.

“One fatality within the car has been confirmed.”

Network Rail says nobody else was injured.

There were 45 people on the train – 37 passengers and eight train crew.

The statement adds: “The train has not derailed, and no passengers or crew were injured.

"The car is badly damaged, and is under the leading power car.

“The train driver and First Great Western staff have given a statement to British Transport Police that the barriers were lowered and the car was seen to drive onto the crossing.

“BTP report the crime scene has been deemed non-suspicious.

“Fire Brigade have begun to cut and remove the vehicle from underneath the front power car.

“Road transport has been arranged for passengers at Athelney.

“The route is currently blocked and trains are being diverted via Bristol.”

9:11am

BRITISH Transport Police confirms only one person was involved and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

The train was heading from Exeter to London Paddington. 

8:33am

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8:31am

IF you witnessed the incident, were on the train, or live locally, call our newsroom on 01823-365100.

8:30am

THE scene of the incident:

8:24am

ONE person has died after a train hit a car on a level crossing in Somerset this morning (Thursday 21).

The incident happened near Athelney, on the line between Taunton and Castle Cary, at about 6.30am.

No train passengers are thought to have been injured in the crash.

Stanmoor Road in Athelney has been closed in both directions.

A bus replacement service is in place between Taunton and Westbury.