Train drivers not blamed for Selby

LONDON, England -- The fatal train crash last week was beyond the control of drivers of either of the two trains involved, an interim report said on Tuesday.

Ten people were killed in last Wednesday's crash, including both drivers, when a Land Rover towing a trailer ploughed off the motorway near Selby in Yorkshire.

Both train drivers died in the collision

The car was hit by a GNER passenger train which then derailed onto the adjacent track where a heavy goods train smashed head-on into it minutes later.

"The speed of the events meant that there was no time for the driver of either train to react," the Health and Safety Executive said in a statement. "Neither train driver had any control over the incident and could not not be blamed in any way."

"The police are still investigating how the Land Rover ended up on the railway track."

The HSE added that there was no evidence at this stage of the investigation to suggest that there were "any errors by the railway staff or faults with the signalling, rolling stock or track involved in this collision."

The family of Gary Hart, the man who was driving the Land Rover, have denied media reports that he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

The HSE said that issues of road design and construction, crash barrier protection and road conditions at the time of the disaster were being investigated by the relevant authorities.

Copyright 2001 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Service remembers train crash victims
March 4, 2001
Fatal UK rail crash clues sought
March 2, 2001
Police revise UK crash death toll
March 2, 2001
'Distraught' crash driver in hiding
March 1, 2001
'Like a bomb explosion'
February 28, 2001

Railtrack
GNER
British Transport Police Federation

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.