Freight train crashes into lorry on track

A freight train hit a lorry on the line near Mannigtree, Essex, early this morning, British Transport Police said.

The accident happened shortly before 5.20am at Harwich Road, Lawford, injuring the driver of the lorry although it was not immediately clear how seriously he had been hurt.

The driver of the freight train was not thought to have been injured.

A spokesman for BTP said: "A lorry has gone onto the railway line and has been hit by a freight train. The train remained upright."

No further information about the crash was available.

A spokesman for Essex fire service said: "A lorry hit a bridge and went off the road, as far as we can tell, on to the railway track. "The cab was struck by a train."

Two fire engines were sent to the scene from Colchester and two from Manningtree, including one off-road vehicle in case it was needed, the spokesman said.

The track was strewn with debris from the lorry.

The lorry appeared to have been carrying cardboard or wooden drums.

Maxine Smith, 39, who lives next to the railway line, said she was woken by a loud crash. "The lorry is now on my front lawn," she said.

"We heard just an mighty bang like an explosion - we were asleep - and we looked out of the window.

"My friend who had been driving to work came running in and said 'There's a lorry on its side on the railway bridge.'

"I rang the emergency services straight away."

Mrs Smith's husband, Andrew, 41, and a few other people went down the embankment to the track.

Mrs Smith said: "The driver had got out and as I was on the phone to the emergency services the train hit the cab.

"I told them: 'The cab's on the line and the cab has been hit' - I felt sick.

"There were about three people down there and the lorry driver had rolled off the track. There was debris all over the track.

"The driver had rolled himself off the track towards the embankment.

"We have been trying to get the speed limit reduced here along this road from 60mph to 40mph but we have just heard that the police have rejected this."