The major train accident in Zaandam happened on Christmas Eve 1993 at the railway crossing near Van Ostadestraat. It is a somewhat chaotic intersection of railways, cycle paths and motorways. On that Christmas Eve, around 9 p.m., a motorist drives fast past cars waiting in front of a barrier.
The 55-year-old motorist from Zaandam is not paying attention because he is changing a cassette tape and rams the barrier. At that moment, the intercity to Hoorn is just arriving with about a hundred passengers. A huge blow follows.
One dead and many injured, driver under the influence
The train is crushed like a harmonica and partly ends up in a ditch along Van Ostadestraat. Many people are injured and there is one death, a 45-year-old man from Purmerend. The driver of the car is also injured. He appears to be under the influence of alcohol.
A number of (near) accidents had already occurred at the intersection at that time. Cars smashed barriers and four times before, cars collided with a train.
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