Rail crash van man 'lucky to live'

The crash on St Valentine's Day last year derailed a Brighton-Portsmouth train and destroyed a van, driven by Anthony Watling, 43.

The jurors at Chichester Crown Court were sent out yesterday to consider their verdict on Watling, of Owlbeech Way, Lancing.

He denies endangering passengers' safety and obstructing a train by driving his van on to the line.

Yesterday Andrew Selby, defending, blamed the accident on the "unsafe" private crossing in Old Salts Farm Road, Lancing.

He claimed the safety authorities' reluctance to spend up to £1million on improving the crossing made the crash possible.

The collision with the 18.35 Brighton-to-Portsmouth service, travelling at 55mph, happened on February 14 last year.

Mr Selby said tests by an accident investigator showed Watling had abided by safety guidelines when using the crossing.

Mr Selby said: "There is nothing safe about this railway line. Look at Mr Watling - you're looking at a miracle man. It was an accident waiting to happen. He's lucky to be alive.

"It was not a situation where he saw a train and thought he could make it in time. He saw nothing."

He said a lit trackside signal could obscure a crossing user's view of an oncoming train.

Mr Selby said: "The reality is you are not going to see something until it is level or past the signal."

Nicholas Hall, prosecuting, argued the trackside signal would not obscure a user's view because it was a different colour to the train's headlights.

He said: "It would be quite simple to work out the difference from the signal light, which is yellow most of the time, to the white headlight of an approaching train."

Watling's business associate, Aaramateo Duggan, had opened the first gate at the crossing and was opening the second when the crash happened.

Mr Hall said: "Suppose there had been another train coming. It would have been absolutely catastrophic."

The jury retired to consider its verdict yesterday.