SOK Saves Driver Trapped Between Railway Gates in Chełm

A 67-year-old female resident of the municipality of Siedliszcze drove her passenger vehicle onto a railway-road crossing in Chełm past warning signals while the gates were lowering, becoming trapped between the barriers on Monday just after 10:00 a.m., according to kolejowyportal.pl.

Intervention by Railway Security Officers Prevents Collision

The vehicle became stuck on the tracks after the driver failed to clear the crossing before the barriers descended. One of the crossing gates came to rest directly against the hood of the car. Officers from the Railway Security Guard (SOK), who were conducting order-maintenance activities at the location, witnessed the incident and immediately intervened. The officers lifted the barrier manually, allowing the driver to safely reverse her vehicle off the tracks moments before a train approached.

Following the incident, the 67-year-old motorist received a traffic fine. Authorities penalized the driver for failing to obey the active light and sound signals and for entering the railway crossing when doing so was strictly prohibited.

National Safety Statistics on Railway Crossings

The Railway Security Guard reported that carelessness by traffic participants and the deliberate ignoring of light and acoustic signals remain the leading causes of accidents at railway-road crossings.

During the single month of August 2026, railway and road crossings recorded 17 accidents and collisions nationwide. These incidents resulted in seven fatalities and two severe injuries. In response to these figures, the Railway Security Guard issued a public appeal urging all drivers and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution and strictly obey all road signs and signals at railway crossings.