State Troopers out of Lyons responded to a report of a  pick up truck ignoring a downed railroad crossing gate and hitting the front of a CSX  train at the Wayneport Road Crossing at 5:58 p.m. on Monday (10/25.

The pick up driver, Timothy Christmas, age 30, of Ontario Center Road in Walworth was reportedly on his cell phone when the crash occurred. The pick up was totaled and the driver, Christmas, was transported to Strong Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and  released.

Christmas was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle While Using a Portable Electronic Device, Failure to stop at a Railroad Crossing, Unreasonable Speed and Driving Around or Through a Railroad Crossing. He was released to appear in Macedon Town Court on the charges.

The Troopers on the scene said that,  although the pick-up was totally destroyed on the outside, the improvements on safety in vehicles has improved immensely.  “It was amazing to see the inside of the cab was perfectly intact. It was  like it was in a bubble wrap.” The rail line was closed for over three hours and the gate was destroyed by the accident.