A pickup truck driver is lucky to be alive after colliding with a freight train near Chemainus this morning.
Chemainus firefighters used the Jaws of Life at about 9:15 a.m. to cut the driver's-side door off the white Chevy hit at an uncontrolled Ashcroft Road crossing, a police release explains.
Firefighters removed the driver who had no passengers aboard, said News Leader Pictorial lensman Andrew Leong.
The driver was transported to hospital, and treated for minor injuries, RCMP say. The driver has been charged with failure to stop at a railway crossing, the cops say.
Cpl. Jon Stuart says the truck failed to stop at the railway-crossing stop sign.
"The train engineer was blowing the horn, and saw that although the truck stopped in time, it was still on the tracks and was then struck by the train.
"The train was not traveling very fast, but the impact knocked the truck from the roadway, causing severe damage. The train
stopped and remained at scene for police," his release states.