A woman managed to exit her car in time after getting stuck between two closed barriers in High Point, North Carolina.
The woman, who was later charged with a railroad crossing violation, turned herself in after initially being investigated as a hit-and-run suspect. According to the NY Daily News, she didn’t stick around for the police to show up after the accident.
As for what happened, it appears that she chose to follow another car as the barriers were coming down, yet hesitated at precisely the wrong moment.
“We certainly understand the driver getting out of the vehicle and moving to safety and we are glad they were able to do so,” stated Traffic Officer A. Goins. “But anytime you are involved in an accident, it’s always best to remain at the scene and speak with officers.”
The state of North Carolina requires that drivers stay at the scene of an accident involving property damage exceeding $1,000, or that they at least notify authorities in a timely manner.
Based on the description of the video, the driver of the dashcam car witnessed another train passing by initially, after which the barriers came up. However, as several cars began to move, “the gates came back down,” said the witness.
“Two of us were caught in between. A young lady’s car stalled on the tracks. I yelled for her to run, and the train hit her car.”