The Case of the Accident at the Level Crossing in Mersin

Lawsuits on Level Passage at Mound: A trial of a minibus driver and a barrier officer on trial for 12-related accidents due to a collision between the train and the service van

In the case against the accident, where the 12 died, the court called a re-examination of the level crossing of the accident.

At the second hearing of the case held at the Mersin 1st High Criminal Court, the arrested defendants, barrier officer Erhan Kılıç and minibus driver Fahri Kaya, relatives of those who lost their lives in the accident and the lawyers of the parties were present.

Defendant in the defense of the defense of the van, the stop of the minibus to stop the button to lower the barrier, the vehicle under the barriers claimed that passed.

Minibus driver Fahri Kaya, on the other hand, argued that he was not guilty of the accident and said, “The barrier was open and I had to pass. The lawyer of the other defendant asked, "I have been doing this for three years, how I do not know the barrier and train times". My working hours are not always the same. In the mornings the train rarely coincided. Here I am a victim, my family is in a difficult situation. I had a new child, they have no one to look after. I want my release, ”he said.

• "The accident happened instantly with the sound of the horn"

One of the witnesses called to the hall, Şuayip Toprak, also stated that he was distributing bread and that he witnessed the accident on his way back to the workplace and said, “I heard the horn of the train about 50 meters before the train road towards my workplace. Due to my location, the train that goes from Mersin to Tarsus direction is not visible due to the wagons on the side. "It was instant that the train hit the minibus with the sound of a horn."

Toprak said that he did not remember whether the barrier was open during the accident and that he saw that the barrier had landed down when he arrived at the scene of the accident and that he had helped the wounded people.

Upon the question of his lawyers about whether the wagons on the sides and the drivers were obscuring the view, Toprak said, “On the day of the incident, a wagon belonging to Reysaş company was about 15 meters away. This wagon was standing on the side of the train. "It is not possible for the vehicle to see the train without getting on the rails."

Witness Bekir Gözüsarı said that he worked in the workshop near the accident site, noticed the accident as a result of the noise and saw minibuses flying in the air.

Claiming that he saw that the barrier was open when he went to the accident site, Gözüsarı said, “When I arrived at the accident site, a vehicle passed through the level crossing. "I saw the barriers go up and down half way after passing."

The question about whether the wagons on the rails obstruct the view of the drivers, “You can see the train coming from the location of the wagons only 2 or 2,5 meters before the road. After seeing it, the only thing you can do is step on the gas and cross over. If the barrier is closed, you cannot enter the railway anyway ”.

Servet Celik, one of the workers who survived the accident, claimed that the barrier did not hear the noise of the train and the horn sound of the train.

• "Barrier officer received all training"

In court, the trial's first hearing on July 11, defense lawyer of the request, the barrier officer Erhan Sword of education and working hours Republic of Turkey for clarification of the State Railways (TCDD), the response of the type sent was read.

In the answer, it was stated that Kılıç received all of his trainings and completed his internship, and that he worked in accordance with the principle of 12 hours of work and 24 hours of rest. In the article, it was also emphasized that an application was not made to TCDD, stating that wagons near the level crossing prevent vehicles on the road.

The court decided to continue the detention of the defendants, the wagons, to determine whether the driver's view of the obstacles, in order to determine whether the experts, witnesses at the scene of the accident to postpone the hearing.

In the central Mediterranean district, 20 people died, 12 were injured, and the barrier officer and the minibus driver were arrested as a result of the collision between the passenger train and the shuttle bus at the level crossing on 3 March.