'Shocking' video shows GO train slamming into SUV

GO Transit has released new video showing a train slamming into an SUV in Toronto while its driver was still behind the wheel.

The incident happened at a rail crossing on Carl Hall Road near Sheppard Avenue and Keele Street in mid-May.

In the roughly one-minute long video, the SUV can be seen approaching a rail crossing just as the gate closes, signalling a train is approaching.

The SUV briefly comes to a stop but then pulls to the right in order to drive around the gate.

It appears to stop just before the tracks but within three seconds the train enters the shot and slams into the vehicle, pushing it out of the shot.

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GO Transit says that the driver was not seriously injured in the incident and managed to walk away from the scene.

Their vehicle, however, appeared to be totalled in images shared by GO Transit.

The driver is also facing charges in connection with the incident.

"Most of these incidents, like the one in the video, are preventable," Metrolinx’s Chief Safety Officer Martin Gallagher said in a blog post. “Collisions at level crossings are caused by pedestrians, cyclists and drivers who deliberately take risks or make bad decisions by mistake, out of habit or because they’re distracted. Everyone needs to be alert at level crossings and remember that trains move quickly and can appear at any time."

Metrolinx said in its blog post that the driver "was lucky to have walked away" from the incident.

It is urging all drivers to take precautions at rail crossings in light of the "shocking video."