A 32 year old man was sentenced to six months imprisonment at Preston Crown Court on 8 February 2007 after a car was hit by a train at Wyke-Cop crossing Burscough in May 2006.

Richard Adam Yates, aged 32 from Rufford, Lancashire pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to report a collision after the car he was driving was hit by a train travelling a 20mph at Wyke Cop crossing on Saturday 6 May 2006. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Sergeant Brian Dickinson of British Transport Police investigated the incident, said. “It was amazing that nobody was seriously injured as a result of this incident. The actions of Richard Yates put his own life at risk and potentially the lives of all the passengers and rail staff on board the train that evening. Today’s sentencing highlights just how seriously this type of incident is treated by the courts and by British Transport police.”

Following the verdict, Network Rail's area general manager Jo Kaye said: "Thirteen people died needlessly in 2005 (the last full year for which statistics are available) on level crossings and last year we spent £3 million on a radio and TV advertising campaign called 'Level Crossings - Don't Run the Risk' to remind people about the dangers of misuse. At least four people chance their lives at levels crossings each day through misuse and on average one person a month is killed at a level crossing for that reason alone. This man is lucky to be alive."The circumstances of this incident were that police were called at approximately 20.50 on Saturday 6 May, 2006 to reports of a train in collision with a car on Wyke Cop crossing in Burscough near Southport.

The car was thrown clear of the tracks and received extensive damage. The train, which was travelling approximately 20mph, received only superficial damage. No passengers or rail staff were injured as a result of the collision involving the Northern Trains, Manchester Airport to Southport service.