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A tragic incident unfolded in New South Wales’ Central West when a rail worker lost his life following a bridge collapse. The collapse was triggered by a collision with a “cherry picker” truck.
Despite the determined efforts of emergency services who tirelessly worked for hours, they were unable to save the 34-year-old passenger trapped inside the vehicle. Sadly, the worker died at the scene.
The driver, aged 38, was able to escape the truck’s cabin, avoiding the same fate as his colleague.
Acting Superintendent John Walke remarked on the challenges faced by the emergency responders. “The scene presented some complexities for responding emergency services,” he explained. “We’ve had to use cranes and so forth in order to try and move the bridge and safely remove the vehicle.”
“We’ve had to use cranes and so forth in order to try and move the bridge and safely remove the vehicle.”
“It’s a very unfortunate and tragic result.”
Both men were Sydney Trains workers.
SafeWork NSW has been notified.
Emergency services were called to Inch Street in Lithgow following reports of the truck crash about 8.50am.
Officers responded to find that a ‘cherry picker’ had hit the bridge, causing it to collapse.
“We’ll be supporting not only our own staff but our people across the railway who will feel this loss and working as we investigate the cause of this accident,” Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said.
A recovery operation is still ongoing as emergency services continue to try and safely move the bridge and remove the truck.
Part of the investigation into the cause will examine the driver’s speed and whether there was adequate signage on the bridge.
