A POPULAR father of three died from multiple injuries after the car he was in was hit by a high speed train, an inquest heard today.

Teesside man Darren Lee Martin’s life was cut tragically short in the Czech Republic on January 20 2017.

The 44-year-old, who moved to the country to live with his partner, was travelling to work as a passenger in a VW Polo when its driver ignored flashing warning lights and signs before attempting to drive across a railway crossing close to Pilsen, near Prague.

The driver of an approaching locomotive, which was carrying commuters, spotted the car but could not stop in time and hit it at 73km.

Mr Martin, the driver and another passenger in the car died in the crash, with the much-loved Eston man suffering fatal injuries to his head and chest. Nobody on board the train was hurt.

An inquest into his death, held an Teesside Coroner’s Court on Monday, senior coroner Clare Bailey said it would be impossible to ascertain why the driver ignored obvious warning signs in an attempt to travel across the railway line.

A cyclist and a motorist that had been travelling behind the car said that flashing lights and stop signs had been operational at the time of the crash.

Recording the cause of his death as accidental, she offered condolences to Mr Martin’s mother, Linda.

Ms Bailey said: “Only the three people that were in the car know what happened.

“There was nothing to suggest it was a deliberate act to drive in front of a train.”

Speaking after the inquest, Ms Martin paid tribute to her son, who is much missed by family members including his children Joshua, Ellias and Yazmin.

She said she accepted that the questions that remain over his death may never be answered, due to the deaths of those in the car.

Ms Martin added: “We will never know why they went over that crossing.

“We went ourselves and it is on a blind corner, it was snowing and foggy so it might have been hard to see there was a train coming.

“Darren was a big part of our lives who brought happiness and love.

“He was a brilliant daddy to three beautiful children and we will always remember him.”