Tragic crash dad set for more court agony

Alex de Vos
A Newcomb father charged with culpable driving over the death of his wife and daughter in a tragic crash between their car and a train last year could face up to 20 years in jail.
Tony Angel, 38, appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday on two charges of culpable driving.
Angel, who has two sons, arrived at the court about 9am and left around 9.30am, appearing distressed.
He is set to reappear in Geelong Magistrates’ Court on July 24 for a committal mention.
The charges relate to the deaths of 38-year-old Susan and 12-year-old Caitlin Angel.
Mrs Angel and Caitlin died when their family car collided with a Warrnambool-bound passenger train at Modewarre on March 24.
Angel and his two sons, 10-year-old Nicholas and eight-year-old Cameron, escaped the smash with injuries.
Family Maltese terrier Molly also died in the smash.
The brothers were taken to Royal Children’s Hospital, in Melbourne. An air-ambulance flew their father was flown to Melbourne’s The Alfred Hospital.
The family was returning from an annual Easter holiday to their home in Newcomb when the car smashed into the third carriage of the train.
The train driver and 116 passengers escaped injury.
The collision sparked calls to upgrade the railway level crossing, which has a stop sign and rumble strips but no lights, bells or boom gates.
State Government last year ruled out upgrading the crossing.
Police from a major collision investigation unit charged Angel on May 2 after a year-long investigation.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said prosecutors accused Angel of negligent driving.
“The charge is equivalent to murder,” the spokesperson said.