{"id":47124,"date":"2024-05-18T10:14:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-18T00:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=47124"},"modified":"2024-05-18T10:14:09","modified_gmt":"2024-05-18T00:14:09","slug":"driver-of-ute-hit-by-train-in-devonport-says-he-got-stuck-on-track-after-swerving-to-avoid-wallaby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=47124","title":{"rendered":"Driver of ute hit by train in Devonport says he got stuck on track after swerving to avoid wallaby"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The driver of a ute that was hit by a freight train on the north-west coast says he became stuck on the track after swerving to avoid a wallaby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collision occurred at around 6am on Wednesday on Stony Rise Road, five minutes from Devonport, when TasRail locomotive TR16 hit the white Toyota ute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to 7 Tasmania, the unharmed driver Rob Brown said local council workers were quick to alert him to the oncoming train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey tried to move it, but they couldn\u2019t move it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Driver Rob Brown speaking to 7 Tasmania. Image \/ 7 Tasmania<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the boys said \u2018get out, get out\u2019 \u2026 that\u2019s what I done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He jumped from the stuck ute moments before the train ploughed into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The ute was pushed along the track for several metres. Image \/ Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the end of the day if it wasn\u2019t for them council blokes, I could\u2019ve been still in it. I mightn\u2019t have been here now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tasmania Police say investigations into the incident are continuing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TasRail CEO Steven Dietrich acknowledged the traumatic experience for the train operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs they\u2019ve approached that stranded vehicle on the track, they\u2019re not really sure if there\u2019s people still inside the vehicle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[It was] a very distressing situation for them \u2026 Train\u2019s cannot stop. Train\u2019s cannot swerve. They cannot go left or right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incident marks the second involving a vehicle and a level crossing in recent weeks,\u00a0following a collision between a truck and a train west of Launceston<\/a>\u00a0in late April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pulse Tasmania<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The driver of a ute that was hit by a freight train on the north-west coast says he became stuck on the track after swerving to avoid a wallaby.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":44398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,163],"tags":[9,942,7],"class_list":["post-47124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-rail-industry-news-australia-new-zealand","tag-freight","tag-tasmania","tag-transport"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t