A van in Virginia narrowly avoided an oncoming train in what is being called a “miracle.”
Video of the close encounter taken by Bob Brown in South Boston shows a van emblazoned with a Pepsi logo accelerating across the tracks just minutes before the train passes.
“It's a miracle he's OK,” Brown told The Virginian, which reported that the driver, Tommy Cobbs, 53, of Danville, escaped injury.
Cobbs was charged with failure to obey signs and markings, the newspaper quoted Virginia State Police as saying.
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The incident, which occurred on July 13 in South Boston, Virginia, began when a van crashed through a lowered railroad crossing barrier. (Bob Brown via Storyful)
The video, filmed on July 13, begins with the van braking as it moves toward a lowered crossing barrier.
However, the van crashes through the gate and comes to a halt just before the tracks, and a train can be seen approaching in the distance, its whistle blowing.
The driver then reverses and appears to hit the gate a second time before the vehicle begins to move forward again.
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The footage shows a train rapidly approaching a van that has not yet passed the tracks in South Boston, Virginia. (Bob Brown via Storyful)
Just before the train is about to hit a freight car, it accelerates quickly, allowing the freight car to safely reach the other side of the tracks.
The train was stopped immediately after the incident.
The incident caused approximately $2,000 in damage to the barrier. The Gazette Virginian.
The incident ended when the van crossed the tracks to avoid a collision. (Bob Brown via Storyful)
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“Based on the speed of the train and the van, I expected the metal to be crushed or worse, but he was fine,” Brown said.
