Two level crossings badly damaged in separate road vehicle crashes

Two level crossings were severely damaged in separate incidents in mid-February.

At around 1945 on February 14, lights at a crossing on the South Western Main Line near Crossways, not far from Dorchester, was smashed during an alleged carjacking, in which two men reportedly tried to force a Mercedes driver out of his vehicle.

Dorset Police said that after crashing into the crossing, the men made off on foot.

Network Rail said the crash blocked the line between Poole and Weymouth for the rest of the day before trains were cautioned through the area on Saturday until around 10.15am, when normal working resumed.

A spokesman said: “Engineers carried out work to repair the crossing and the road was reopened on Sunday evening.”

Four days later the level crossing taking the A49 over the Marches line at Onibury, between Craven Arms and Ludlow, was badly damaged when a dropside van crashed through the raised barrier and landed on the track bed on its side.

West Mercia Police confirmed said it received a report of a road traffic collision at around 1845 on February 18.

A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide a specimen. He has since been released under investigation.