Serbia's railway infrastructure operator has released disturbing video from a level crossing in Železnik, just two weeks after a 27-year-old woman in her seventh month of pregnancy and her three-year-old son were killed near Odžaci.
Despite the horrific accident that occurred in late July, some drivers in Serbia continue to ignore basic traffic rules at level crossings. Footage released on August 12, 2026, on the website of Serbia's railway infrastructure operator clearly shows drivers bypassing lowered gates at the level crossing in the Belgrade suburb of Železnik, on the road towards Sremčica, disregarding the light and sound signals warning of an approaching train.
This behavior is particularly concerning in light of the tragedy that occurred on July 27, 2026, at the level crossing on the Lalić-Odžaci road. A train struck a car carrying a 27-year-old woman and her three-year-old son. Both died at the scene. According to Kurir, the woman was in her seventh month of pregnancy and had set out that morning with her child for a medical check-up.
The gate was lowered and the signals were working at the time. The impact completely crushed the car, and the train pushed it along the tracks before coming to a stop. Firefighters had to cut through the mangled vehicle to reach the victims.
Serbia's railway infrastructure operator warns that a train's stopping distance ranges from 700 to 1,000 meters. A train simply cannot stop within a few meters, and by the time the engineer spots an obstacle on the tracks, it is often too late for any reaction.
The statistics are damning: in more than 90 percent of accidents at level crossings in Serbia, as well as on international routes, the cause is drivers of road vehicles failing to obey the rules.
"Serbia's railway infrastructure operator therefore once again warns and appeals for compliance with regulations and traffic signals, especially at level crossings, and for drivers not to bypass lowered barriers, as this is the only way to prevent accidents and save lives," the statement from the operator reads.
Part of the problem is the false sense of security that develops in drivers who have gotten away with it multiple times. They bypass the gate once, twice, and over time they begin to believe such a move is harmless. But a level crossing does not forgive mistakes. A single second of inattention or a miscalculation of a train's speed is all it takes for the consequences to become catastrophic.
A few minutes of waiting is never worth a human life. A lowered gate is not an obstacle to be circumvented, but a final warning to stop.
