Close shave for family as train hits car

TIRUCHY: A junior telecom officer with BSNL and his family had a miraculous escape on Friday when their car collided with a train at an unmanned railway level crossing here.According to sources, the official, Sasikumar (40), residing at Crescent Avenue in Crawford, was proceeding towards Tiruchy along with his wife Sangeetha Priya (32) and son Parvesh Kumar (2) on their car. As they reached Anbu Nagar around 8.40 am, Sasikumar tried to drive past the level crossing, when he noticed the Karaikudi-Tiruchy passenger train fast approaching. On seeing this, other motorists and pedestrians screamed at Sasikumar asking him to cross the track quickly. Hearing the cries of the people, Sasikumar tried to speed past the level crossing, but to his horror, the engine of the car conked out.  Within seconds,  the train passed the crossing, causing anxious moments. The public, who rushed to the spot, heaved a sigh of relief after they saw Sasikumar and his family safe inside the car, which was partly damaged. “When I thought of crossing the track, I heard the people warning me about the fast approaching train. I became nervous and the engine went off and I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Sasikumar said, adding “It was god’s grace, I and my family are alive.” On information police rushed to the spot. As the construction of a railway overbridge at Crawford is on, vehicles are being diverted through different routes.