Three hurt as van hit by train after blowing through warning gate

Three people were injured in the central city of Lod on Tuesday when the van they were riding in was hit by a passenger train as they made their way to the scene of a shooting in which a relative was killed.

The vehicle, which blew through the gate warning of an oncoming train, was struck as it passed over the train tracks.

Police said two passengers of the van were badly wounded as a result of the incident, while the third was moderately injured.

There were no reports of passengers on the train being injured.

The crash at a level crossing in the working class city outside of Tel Aviv was caught on video by security cameras.

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Israel Railways said the van drove over the train tracks “illegally” and ignored cautionary measures such as the gate and a traffic light warning of the approaching train.

The collision occurred after a shooting in the city in which a relative of the riders in the vehicle was killed.

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Police said they were investigating the shooting.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said the windows on two of its ambulances were broken as it responded to the pair of incidents in the city.

It said it was treating the breaking of the windows “very seriously” and said it “expects police to bring the violent perpetrators to justice.”

בזמן שצוותי מד"א טיפלו באירועים בלוד נופצו שמשות של 2 אמבולנסים. במד"א רואים זאת בחומרה רבה ומצפים מהמשטרה למצות את הדין עם המבצעים האלימים. pic.twitter.com/nJT5LQYLRy

— מגן דוד אדום (@mda_israel) October 17, 2017

After a series of deadly train-car collisions, Israel has in recent years invested millions of shekels in replacing level crossings with bridges and underpasses, though many level crossings still remain throughout the country.