Passengers of a car had a miraculous escape when a train rammed it at an unmanned level crossing in Dindigul district in the early hours of Saturday.
Police sources said that Manikandan (38), who was driving the car with two members of his family, attempted to cross the railway crossing at Chettiyapatti at 8.45 a.m. When he saw the Tiruchi–Tirunelveli Inter-City Express approaching, he tried to reverse the car but failed as the engine got switched off.
The approaching train hit the front portion of the car and the vehicle turned upside down with the three passengers inside.
Eyewitness accounts said that the train was immediately brought to a halt by the locomotive pilot.
Passengers travelling in the train helped the injured persons get out of the car and took them to the Dindigul railway junction in the same train. The car was crushed in the impact.
The three injured persons were later taken to the Dindigul Government Hospital for treatment.
The Railway Police have registered a case.
Residents of Chettiyapatti said passengers in the car had a miraculous escape since the train was slowing down to reach the Tamaraipadi station which was hardly 300 metres away.
Tamaraipadi panchayat president Abdul Jaffer said there was an immediate need to install a railway gate at the unmanned crossing since people from nearly 35 villages in the area took the route across the railway tracks daily.
The locals also found it difficult to cross the railway tracks at night.
