When you look at Catia and Jean-Pierre’s vehicle after the accident, it’s hard to recognize the couple’s Clio. The front of the vehicle was completely chewed up by its encounter with a TER leaving Pau for Oloron, this Sunday. The couple, by a miracle, come out unscathed from this accident, but are in shock. The two people from Tarb accompanied a friend of theirs who lives in one of the houses near the railway line, Chemin Soubacq, in Jurançon. Arrived at the level crossing, unprotected, they only saw the train too late, which braked urgently without being able to avoid contact with the couple’s car.
– Damien Gozioso
Not the first accident at this place
“We braked, but it was too latesays Jean-Pierre. There were about 20 centimeters on the railway, the train boarded the entire front of the vehicle. If we had braked a meter later, we wouldn’t be here to tell the story“. Long minutes after the accident the TER train left for Pau, with a few passengers on board. A tow truck came to pick up the couple’s vehicle. “We do not pay attention to material damagecontinues Jean-Pierre, as long as we’re standing, breathing and cuddling, we’re fine“.
The inhabitants of the surrounding houses regret that this level crossing – unlike two others located upstream and downstream in the town – is not better protected than by a “STOP” sign. They count three accidents at the same place in recent years.