NY Uber driver escapes moments before train crushes his car

There were no injuries reported after the collision.

ByABC News
October 25, 2017, 4:38 AM
A Long Island Rail Road train strikes a vehicle near Bethpage, New York.
A Long Island Rail Road train strikes a vehicle near Bethpage, New York.
Twitter/ @LIRR

— -- A New York Uber driver was forced to abandon his vehicle on Tuesday just moments before a fast-moving train crashed into it, surveillance video showed.

The collision happened at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, halting service on the Long Island Rail Road’s Ronkonkoma branch in some locations.

The driver, Hugh James, said his car stalled on the train tracks in Bethpage, Long Island -- about an hour east of Manhattan -- just as the train was approaching.

"Someone came to try and help me. He tried to push the car while I put it in reverse. It still would not move," James told ABC’s New York station WABC on Tuesday. "He then saw the train coming and I came out and examined to see what was under the car.

"I could not see clearly so I abandoned the car. I tried to signal the train," he added. "He could not see me."

Normal service resumed a few hours after the incident. No debris was found on the tracks that would cause the car to get stuck, according to a preliminary LIRR investigation.

There were no injuries reported.

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