Man killed in rail crossing crash

The train was travelling at more than 60mph when it hit the car

An elderly man has died after his car drove into the path of a train on an unmanned level crossing in North Yorkshire on Saturday.

The collision happened shortly before 1000 BST where a farm access road crosses the York to Scarborough line at the village of Rillington, near Malton.

One of 12 passengers on board the train suffered minor injuries. The train driver was shaken but escaped injury.

North Yorkshire Police and British Transport Police are investigating.

A British Transport Police spokesman said the dead man, who lived locally, was the only occupant of the white Ford Escort car.

The Scarborough-bound train hit the car at Rillington, North Yorkshire

Officers had confirmed his identity but would not release his name until all relatives had been informed.

He said the two-carriage train had been travelling at 60-70mph when the car collided with the side of a carriage as it passed through the crossing.

Initial inquiries suggested that the crossing had been operating correctly, with its warning lights flashing.

But the investigation would study the electronics at the crossing and information from the train's black box regarding its speed and braking, the British Transport Police spokesman added.

Passengers on the 0909 BST First Transpennine York to Scarborough train continued their journeys by bus.

The line was closed and rail services had been "seriously disrupted" as a result, British Transport Police added.