MBTA Commuter Train Destroys Car On Tracks In Revere

REVERE (CBS) – A driver will be summonsed to court after a commuter rail train cut his car in half in a frightening crash caught on video in Revere.

According to police, the man was involved in an minor accident late Wednesday night and drove away from the scene.  Moments later, he drove around the crossing gates at an MBTA crossing at Oak Island Road.

That's when a commuter train going 65 miles an hour sped through the crossing, tearing off the back half of the car.

The driver and his passenger weren't hurt.  But surveillance video from a nearby home showed them running away from the mangled vehicle.

"All of the sudden we heard a big boom, kind of like a small explosion," witness Anthony Terendi said.

There were about 200 passengers on the train at the time of the crash.  None were injured. They were evacuated and put on another train.

Police spent several hours overnight looking for the driver. Transit police told WBZ-TV they identified him Thursday morning but they are not releasing his name at this point in the investigation.  Charges are expected.

Jenny Reynolds lives near where the train and car collided. Reynolds said she spoke to the driver of the car that had been rear-ended earlier in the night by the driver of the car that was hit by the train.

"He was definitely shaken up. He said "I just wanted to talk to them, I don't know why this had to happen,'" said Reynolds.

A resident who lives in the area told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 that he was stunned anyone survived the crash.

"You couldn't even tell what kind of car model it was. It was destroyed. Completely destroyed," he said. "I honestly didn't think anyone walked away from that. There should've been a couple people dead, but I'm glad that didn't happen."

"Just another crazy night in Oak Island," neighborhood resident Faith Briggs told WBZ-TV. "I've never seen anybody do anything crazy like that."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karyn Regal reports