CCTV captures the moment 29-year-old Kent woman drunkenly drives her car onto railway tracks

  • Watch the moment Tayler Barnham drove onto a level crossing and then up the railway track

CCTV has captured the moment a 29-year-old Kent woman drunkenly drove her car on to a railway line.

Tayler Barnham, from Rochester, was filmed driving on to a level crossing then left onto the tracks, sending up a shower of sparks.

The dramatic footage shows the Ford Fiesta hitting a live rail before coming to an abrupt stop.

The driver narrowly avoided death, thanks to the driver of an approaching passenger train who spotted the car in the nick of time and slammed on the emergency brakes.

The near-miss happened at a rail crossing near Faversham, Kent, in May last year.

A massive plume of sparks formed as the driver hits the live rail Credit: PA

Barnham was arrested and a breath-alcohol sample taken in police custody found she was more than three times over the drink driving limit.

After the car was removed from the railway line, officers located an empty beer can in its footwell, police said.

Barnham was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for two years, at Medway Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (February 3).

She admitted driving without due care and attention and drink-driving at an earlier hearing, British Transport Police said.

She was disqualified from driving for two years and is required to be on a curfew between 7pm and 7am for three months.

The CCTV footage was released after her sentencing, as police issued a warning that "the railway isn't a playground."

Tayler Barnham drove onto a level crossing and then onto the tracks at a rail crossing near Faversham in Kent

Detective Constable Mike Ganly said: "Barnham's impetuous decision that evening could have resulted in tragic consequences."

"Not only did she put herself in grave danger, she caused significant risk to the safety of the passengers on the approaching train."

"I hope the footage of her ill-judged actions and her prosecution serves as a stark warning to anyone who may consider driving or stepping on to the tracks."

"The railway isn't a playground - it has many hidden dangers. Not only do you run the risk of being struck by an oncoming train, but the electrified third rail carries 750 volts - enough to kill you."

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