SUV struck by train in Beacon Falls

BEACON FALL, Conn. (WTNH) -- A man is lucky to be alive after his SUV ended up in the path of a Metro-North train Thursday.

Police are still trying to figure out if slippery roads played a role in the crash or if the man accidentally hit the gas pedal.

The Chevy Blazer looks like it's wedged underneath the train at the Beacon Falls station.

"The vehicle entered up and had its two front tires that were stuck up on the, in-between the rails," said Capt. James McKenna, MTA Police.

The train smashed into it, dragging the SUV and spinning it around, before finally coming to rest.

The collision damaged the guard rail and fence, and sent the lone occupant, a man in his 50s, to the hospital.

MTA police tell News 8 he was unconscious when emergency personnel got to the scene, so they're not sure how he got his front tires stuck up on the tracks. However, the driver's extremely lucky as the train was already slowing down to stop at the station.

"There was about 40 passengers on board, they were removed and provided bus service, as of right now, the train is back up and running," said McKenna.

Trains on the Waterbury branch line had to be halted for a couple hours while the fire department and the state police extricated the driver and pulled the car off the tracks.

The parking lot at the small depot in Beacon Falls is right next to the tracks. The driver may have accelerated accidentally when he was parking. It's not yet clear exactly why he landed on the tracks, but the driver's now listed in stable condition at Waterbury Hospital.

"It's the first time I remember this happening here," McKenna said.