Mother-of-two killed in 'tragic' train crash at Victorian level crossing

A small town is mourning a mother-of-two who died after her car was struck by a passenger train at a level crossing in Victoria’s west.

Rosalie Mitchell, 46, was only a few hundred metres from her home when the Melbourne-bound Overland train from Adelaide smashed into the car at the crossing in Cressy, west of Geelong, yesterday afternoon.

Ms Mitchell, who ran a sheep farm with her husband and family, died in the crash after being pushed about 600m, in a scene that left emergency services heartbroken.

“People are travelling on country roads and perhaps through familiarity or unfamiliarity, they don’t pay enough attention to rail crossings,” Senior Sergeant John Bemelmans said today.

“My heart goes out to family and friends that have been impacted by this horrific accident,” Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said.

No other injuries have been reported and the cause of the crash is being investigated, with police set to examine footage from the train.

While it remains unclear what prevented the mother-of-two from seeing The Overland, residents raised concerns about the level crossing.

“You have got the reflector signs right there on the train line, and when you’re coming up, your headlights hit that and it blinds you,” resident James Leebody said.

While there are road markings and signage, there are no boom gates or warning lights – unlike others in the area.