Video: High-speed train smashes into truck

A high-speed passenger train barrelled into a fruit-laden delivery truck at a level crossing in the quaint village of Meteren, central Netherlands, on Friday (October 31).

The collision, captured in heart-stopping CCTV footage released by rail operator ProRail, has exploded across social media, amassing millions of views.

The scene is a bizarre blend of destruction and absurdity — think "Fast & Furious" meets a pear apocalypse.

In the video, it appears the cargo truck failed to complete its manoeuvre at the railway crossing due to the barriers suddenly lowering. Its trailer was literally torn apart by the speeding train.

Five people inside the truck were injured, while the train passengers were unharmed.

The drama unfolded around 11:30 am on Bredestraat, about 50 km south of Utrecht.

A massive 10-wheeler lorry, brimming with crates of fresh green pears destined for local markets, approached the crossing.

As barriers began descending and warning lights flashed, the driver—perhaps spooked by an oncoming car — made a fateful error: reversing onto the tracks.

The truck jerked forward then backward in a panicked tango, snapping two barriers like twigs and leaving half its bulk stranded squarely in the path of doom.

Seconds later, the intercity train, hurtling at over 100 km/h with roughly 200-400 passengers aboard (reports vary), smashed into the rear trailer with thunderous force, according to local media.

Metal screeched, the trailer shredded open, and thousands of pears erupted like confetti.

Videos show a green haze of flying fruit pelting the train's front, squashing on impact and raining down in a surreal shower.

Debris scattered across the tracks, turning the scene into a chaotic pear preserve. One eyewitness recounted the "terrible bang" echoing through the village, followed by the acrid smell of crushed produce and twisted steel.

Miraculously, no fatalities marred the mishap.

The five occupants of the truck sustained minor injuries — cuts, bruises, and shock — while all train passengers emerged unscathed.

ProRail hailed it a "shocking reminder" of level-crossing perils, where Dutch drivers face dozens of near-misses yearly despite advanced safeguards, as per Dutch media.

Investigators probe why the lorry couldn't clear the tracks, but experts decry hesitation as deadly — once committed, drivers must floor it.

Viral ensued: TikTokers dubbed it the "Pear Flight," Reddit threads meme'd "When life gives you pears," and X (formerly Twitter) buzzed with quips about fruity revenge.

Cleanup crews toiled for hours, scooping squashed fruit and hauling wreckage, underscoring the Netherlands' push to eliminate risky crossings amid its efficient rail network.

A stark lesson: at the rails, one wrong move yields more than lemons — it delivers a bushel of chaos.