Underage cyclist dies in collision on railway crossing in Wezemaal

In Wezemaal, near Rotselaar, an underage cyclist died in a collision on a railway crossing on Tuesday evening. The boy ignored the red light and closed barriers, with tragic consequences.

The railway manager Infrabel received a report of a fatal collision with a cyclist on Tuesday evening at 8.30 pm. “According to a witness statement, the barriers went down,” says spokesman Thomas Baeken. “The witness heard a heavy crash, which may have been the person’s collision. According to the initial findings, the barriers functioned well.”

The Leuven public prosecutor’s office is investigating the incident and states that it was an accident and not an act of desperation. An underage boy allegedly ignored the closed level crossing and was subsequently hit by the train.

Train traffic between Leuven and Aarschot was halted for hours after the accident. Traffic was diverted and NMBS deployed replacement buses. But on Wednesday morning, train traffic could resume without restrictions.

In mid-March, Infrabel sounded the alarm after images showed a woman with a pram and a motorcyclist crossing a closed railway crossing in Wetteren. A day later, a motorcyclist was seriously injured in Zulte after ignoring the closed barriers. In February, the railway manager launched a campaign against railway running.