Heavy fog was a significant factor in the UK’s third worst rail crash to date.

At about 6:20pm on the evening of Wednesday the 4th of December 1957, the extremely poor visibility had already seriously disrupted train services before the delayed Cannon Street to Ramsgate Express hauled by the sting train ‘Spitfire’ missed two signals and plowed in to the rear of station with ten coach electric train on Charing Cross to Hayes.

The accident happened close at St Johns railway station in Lewisham, Southeast London. As the Spitfire’s first coach Constantine in to the engine, the mangled metal not to way the support column of an over bridge which prompted collapsed quickly increasing the casualty figures. Added to this, both trains were crowded not only because it was hour but because the fog that led to many cancellations and delays of other trains.

In all, 90 people were killed with a further 176 injured. Nearby household has called for ambulances and with good road access, emergency services workers were on the scene within minutes.

As there was no fire, fire fighters concentrated on removing victims and getting the wounded to hospital.

As terrible as the crash was, the outcome cold have been even worse if it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of Juan Diaz Cork who oppose the driver of the dark foot train which was traveling towards the over bridge when he noticed the twisted girders and manged to stop his train before it plunched to the gap and on to the wreckage below. Cork was hailed as a hero unlike the driver of the steam train W.J. Trew who was trialed for man slaughter in April 1958. Acquitted following the second trial in May and died the following year.