A GO Train Smashed Into An SUV At A Rail Crossing In Toronto & It Was All Caught On Video

Last month, a GO Train slammed into an SUV that had driven onto a rail crossing in Toronto, even though the lights were flashing indicating that the train was about to pass through.

On Monday, June 20, Metrolinx shared in a blog post that the incident happened in mid-May near the Carl Hall Road rail crossing.

In the "shocking" video that Metrolinx released, a black SUV is seen approaching a rail crossing that had just lowered its barrier to indicate a GO Train was about to drive through.

Instead of waiting behind the barrier, the SUV drives around it and is starting to cross the tracks when the train comes barreling through and crashes right into the car.

"Luckily, the driver was not seriously injured," the text in the video reads before it cuts away to an image of what the SUV looked like after the accident (completely totalled).

The driver is now "facing charges for their reckless actions," the transit company said in their blog post.

How to approach rail crossings safely

Even though the driver walked away from the scene, Metrolinx decided to share the video to raise awareness about safety at these crossings.

"Most of these incidents, like the one in the video, are preventable," Metrolinx Chief Safety Officer Martin Gallagher said in the blog post.

"Collisions at level crossings are caused by pedestrians, cyclists and drivers who deliberately take risks or make bad decisions by mistake, out of habit or because they're distracted."

Some of the instructions that Metrolinx is asking everyone to follow when walking or driving by a level crossing include never going around a barrier when it's lowered and always being prepared to stop at these crossings.

"Stop, look and listen. Pay attention to the warnings, whether they are lights, barriers or alarms," the blog post reads.

Operation Lifesaver, an organization committed to educating Canadians about railway safety, says that more than 100 Canadians are either seriously injured or killed from railway crossing or trespassing incidents each year.