BMW driver takes on ramp at level crossing - and loses

Safety at level crossings is no laughing matter – but there's no doubt that this footage of an accident on a crossing from our friends in Russia will leave more than a few of its watchers scratching their heads.

It shows a BMW 7 Series waiting patiently at the crossing while a train passes – and, when the last carriage has crossed, pedestrians rushing to lift the barrier and stand on the lifting ramp that blocks drivers' paths, to force it to drop.

But as the barrier is lifted, the ramp fights back, rising back out of the ground. Blissfully unaware, the BMW driver gives it some gas – straight into the waiting ramp.

This moment's inattention leaves the ramp broken and twisted, and the front wheel-arch of the 7 Series skewered onto its corner, requiring the help of a digger to extricate it. Not to mention at least one injured pedestrian, who's catapulted into the air when the ramp's hit.

The lessons to be learned here? Well, first up, if you're a pedestrian, messing with level crossing equipment is a pretty daft idea. Second of all, if you're a driver, make sure you wait till the barriers are up and the red lights are out before crossing.

And finally, diggers are useful for far more than just digging holes.