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Polish train diver sprints through cars to warn of crash

A commuter train driver in Poland is being hailed as a hero after he ran through his train to warn passengers of an impending collision. According to Independent.ie, train driver Mateusz Szymanski was operating along a route between Wagrowiec and Poznan in western Poland when he came upon a loaded truck stalled on the tracks at a crossing. The train was moving at nearly 70 miles per hour, and in the few seconds he had Szymanski activated the emergency brakes then rushed through the cars warning passengers to brace for impact.

Security footage from inside the train shows Szymanski sprinting down the aisle of a car while passengers duck and cover in their seats and in the center aisle. The train's forward-facing camera captured the impact, as the train smashed into the rear quarter of the truck scattering vehicle parts, lumber, and construction material. Some of the lumber in the truck smashed through the train windows, but thanks to Szymanski's warning the seats were empty.

"We can say he almost certainly saved passengers from injuries," said Krzysztof Ryfa, a director of the railway that employs Szymanski.

According to Eurostat, a 2014 study on railway safety showed that Poland was one of four EU member states, along with Germany, Hungary, and Romania responsible for more than half of the 1,928 people killed or seriously injured in railway accidents.

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