The occupants of a vehicle found wrapped around a train in the Bay of Plenty this morning escaped the vehicle before it was ploughed into.

The Matata Volunteer Fire Brigade were pulled from their slumber when call came in to motor vehicle accident at 12.33am.

'At the scene by Pikowai Camp, we saw a small utility vehicle wrapped around an East bound train and some people milling around,” says a post on the Matata Volunteer Fire Brigade Facebook page.

'We quickly discovered that the people had actually got the vehicle stuck trying to cross the line at a non-crossing and when they heard the train coming they made a run for it.

'So we sent teams from Matata and then shortly after Edgecumbe and some police, to search both sides of the line for the people, while our fire crew kept an eye on the fire risk from the leaking petrol.”

St John paramedics were also in attendance.
After some searching, no people found.

'We sent most of the crews home while our fire crew stayed put until the vehicle was dragged onto a trailer and we could wash away the petrol.

'All back to Matata by 3am.”