WATCH: Motorist lands on train tracks near Vlei Street

The railway line between Pretoria and Johannesburg had to be temporarily shut down on Sunday evening after an alleged drunk driver managed to crash his car onto the tracks near Birchleigh Railway Station.

According to Gerald Groenewald, a SecPros Security member, emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene at around 10pm, where they found vehicle debris strewn across the tracks.

“The driver was clearly shaken by the incident but not seriously injured. He was taken to hospital,” Groenewald told Express.

He believes it was the deployed airbags that saved the man’s life.

As the accident scene posed a danger to road-goers and trains, AfriForum security member and Transnet employee Jan Vermaak liaised with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa to close the lines in both directions. The fire department was also dispatched.

“The scene was cleared within an hour,” Groenewald added.