Report cannot determine whether missing bells could have prevented fatal crash

Denmark’s Accident Investigation Board cannot say whether missing warning bells contributed to a fatal train crash at Kliplev, DR reports. The crash killed a 24-year-old man on 5 July 2025.

The man was driving a van across the railway crossing when he was hit by a train travelling from Tinglev towards Sønderborg. The crossing had no barriers, and its warning bells had been stolen.

The investigation found that the warning lights were working and could be seen from the van at least 650 metres from the crossing. The report says the bells were mainly intended to warn pedestrians and cyclists. If they had been in place, the driver would probably have heard them only 25 to 50 metres from the crossing, and investigators could not determine whether he would have had time to react and brake.

The report says a pillar in the van may have made it difficult for the driver to see the train. Investigators also point to a possible human cause, noting that a driver focused on the road ahead might overlook the red warning lights. They say a barrier at the crossing would probably have stopped the van.

A 51-year-old man from Aabenraa has been charged with negligent manslaughter over the alleged theft of the bells. On 15 August 2025, a 60-year-old woman was killed in a separate crash at another unbarriered crossing near Kliplev. The board has not yet released its report on that crash.