A truck driver in Georgia is lucky to be alive after a train slammed into his truck.

Video shows the driver of the stalled truck narrowly escaping the cab as the oncoming train's horns blare. The train barrels through the crossing, hitting the truck and sending debris flying.

Zack Hatcher, who was filming the crash, had to back up his own car to avoid being hit by debris. Hatcher is then seen checking on the truck driver, who appears to be unharmed.

The crash occurred early Tuesday morning in Cartersville near Interstate 75 just over 40 miles northeast of Atlanta.

"The engineer and conductor both stated that they could see the truck stopped on the tracks − they started breaking as soon as they saw the truck, but they were not able to stop in time," Capt. Lisa Fuller of the Emerson Police Department told ABC News.

The network reported that no one was injured in the collision and that it was the eighth documented incident but first collision at the crossing. Documented incidents include other trucks stalling because of the turning radius on the tracks, the outlet reported.

Train crossing safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there were more than 1,600 collisions between vehicles and freight and commuter trains in 2021. The administration has the following safety tips for drivers at railroad crossings:

  • Stop, look both ways, and listen. Know that trains always have the right of way.
  • Don’t stop on the tracks. Make sure you have room to get across. Once you enter the crossing, keep moving.
  • Stop 15 feet away from flashing red lights, lowered gates, a signaling flagman or a stop sign.
  • Never drive around a lowering gate or ignore signals. 
  • After a train passes, wait for gates to fully rise and for all lights to stop flashing before your cross.
  • Never assume that there is only one train coming from a single direction.
  • If your car stalls on a track, quickly get everyone out − even if you don’t see a train coming. Run away from the tracks and your car to avoid being hit by flying debris. Call the number on the blue emergency notification system sign. If the sign is not visible to you, call 911.

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