Chatham Ontario - The driver of a cube van escaped injury after the vehicle was struck by a freight train Tuesday afternoon in Chatham.
 
Two witnesses, who did not give their names, said the westbound vehicle was struck by the train as it crossed the railway tracks on Colborne Street near Prince Street North while the crossing lights were activated.
 
Both witnesses said the male driver of the vehicle was shook up, but not injured, and was even seen walking around after the crash.
 
Chatham-Kent police report emergency crews responded to the collision just before 16:00.
 
Police said it was learned no one sustained any injuries as a result of the collision.
 
The driver of the truck, a 43-year-old Chatham man, was issued a ticket for disobeying a rail crossing signal, police said.
 
The matter was passed onto the Canadian Pacific Railway Police for future investigation.
 
One person said the train carried the van for a distance before it was sent spinning around in a grassy area beside the railway tracks.
 
"You should have seen it. The truck was just spinning," another witness said.
 
There was a large crash that sent mail flying all over the area, the witness added.
 
The freight train came to a stop several hundred metres from the impact.
 
Another cube van arrived to retrieve the contents of the damaged vehicle.
 
Ellwood Shreve.