Barns Green level crossing crash car driver 'took no chances'

Will Hallett and his grandfather Barry Hearnshaw died at the scene of the crash

A grandfather killed alongside his grandson when their car was hit by a train did not "take chances" when behind the wheel, an inquest has heard.

Barry Hearnshaw, 71, was giving Will Hallett, 15, a lift to a football match when a train struck the car at a level crossing in West Sussex in February.

Their family argued Mr Hearnshaw would not have driven around the Barns Green level crossing's half-barrier.

They said: "Barry was definitely not a driver to take chances."

The family statement added: "We want to make it very clear as a family we don't believe in any way Barry would consciously put the life of himself and his grandson at risk at any point."

In a statement read to the inquest jury from Mr Hearnshaw's widow Jacqueline, she called for the barrier to be made safer and questioned why there was not CCTV there at the time.

Rail accident investigators went to the scene of the crash

Mr Hearnshaw's Kia Rio was hit near Horsham at about 08:45 GMT on 17 February.

During the hearing Will's mother Jill Hallett questioned why, after the crash, the barriers were not changed to full barriers covering the whole road.

"I am appalled, shocked quite frankly, that it's gone back to half barriers," she told the inquest.

Jurors were told by Christopher Ford, of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch the system on the level crossing was working as "normal" on the day.

Mr Ford said an investigation provided "strong evidence" that when the car entered the track the barriers had been fully lowered around 14 seconds before, with the red lights flashing.

However there is no definitive proof as the data-storage box nearby was destroyed by fire, the inquest heard.

Will Hallett and his grandfather Barry Hearnshaw died at the scene of the crash

A statement from train driver Mark Taylor stated: "I was facing forward watching the track when almost instantly a flash of blue came in front of me.

"It just drove straight out in front of me. I immediately put the brake on emergency.

"There was a big explosion and a sound of glass smashing then a ball of smoke and flames.

"One second it wasn't there and the next it was in front of me."

Mr Taylor, a train driver since the late 1980s, had set off from London Victoria and was travelling within the 75 mph speed limit, the inquest heard.

He added he was not looking at the barriers as the signals were green, and you have to "trust the system" otherwise you will "crawl along at a snail's pace".

Train passenger Joseph Waniszyn told the hearing: "I heard a loud sound like something broke under the train, then a flash of flame up the side of the train, then it stopped."

The inquest continues.