A driver is lucky to be alive but she has very serious injuries after her car was hit by a train.
It happened in the middle of the afternoon at a crossing in Abington.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
>Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
“All of a sudden they hit the airbrake really quick,” said Brian Walters, a passenger on the commuter rail train. “Next thing I knew the kid next to me said ‘Oh my God’ we just hit a car.”
Walters looked out the train window.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our >News Headlines newsletter.
“The lady was in there,” he said. “Airbags deployed, some gentleman went up, got a knife, cut the side of the airbags out.”
That gentleman was Brian Baker, who was outside a restaurant and saw the crash take place.
He says it appeared the driver of the Chrysler Pacifica went around a crossing gate, but then stopped in the middle of the crossing.
“It was a horrible scene,” said Baker. “Don’t ever want to watch it again.”
He ran down the tracks to the car, which had hurtled about 30 yards away from the crossing.
“I opened the airbags,” said Baier. “Tried to make communication with her, see if she was alive, if there was any kids in the car, anybody else. I opened the airbag just to make sure she was moving.”
Sean Durfee had heard the crash and followed Baker down the tracks to where the car ended up.
“I just think it’s awareness,” said Durfee. “You’ve got to be aware, you’re crossing the train tracks.”
Keolis, the company that operates the commuter rail, said the crossing gates and warning system worked as intended, and that the 45-year-old driver failed to yield at the crossing,
The driver was conscious and alert when paramedics arrived.
Nobody on the train was hurt, according to investigators.
