A TRAIN carrying more than 50 people ploughed into a Land Rover dumped on a level crossing during a police chase.

Officers said it was incredible the train stayed on the track and the passengers escaped injury.

The Land Rover's driver, trying to escape pursuing police, leapt from the vehicle seconds before impact. A man was later arrested nearby.

The crash happened yesterday on the Coastway West line at the Toddington Lane level crossing, Littlehampton.

The train smashed into the Land Rover at more than 50mph, pushed it off the track and screeched to a halt 500 yards down the line.

The 54 passengers and three crew members were left shocked but unhurt.

They were told to stay on the train for their own safety and were later checked over by ambulance crews.

More than two hours later the train moved to West Worthing, where some passengers transferred to coaches and taxis to complete their journey to Brighton.

One firefighter at the scene said: "The Land Rover driver must have been a lunatic."

Det Chief Insp Dave Gaylor, head of CID for the area, said: "It must have been horrific for the driver. This could have had extremely serious consequences. It is extremely fortunate no one was killed."

The drama started at 4pm when police followed a Land Rover and attempted to stop it in Lyminster, near Littlehampton.

The vehicle suddenly sped away and police say they kept a safe distance as they followed it to the level crossing.

Insp Allan Lowe said: "The vehicle stopped on the crossing as the warning lights were flashing and barriers were going down, indicating a train was coming.

"Then the driver jumped out and fled just before the train approached.

"There was no way the train driver had time to stop. It crashed straight into it. It was amazing no one was hurt."

The man arrested was taken to Worthing police station, where he was being questioned last night.

Coastway West services were disrupted for more than two hours as power was turned off. Engineers found minor damage to the Cardiff-Brighton train.

Passenger Mark Beatton, 27, from Hova Villas, Hove, said: "There was a huge crashing sound and a lot of panic. We thought at first that we had hit another train.

"It was a huge jolt, and I am amazed there were not any injuries."

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