Van Driver Charged After Narrow Escape from Train

A dramatic incident occurred in South Boston, Virginia, where a Pepsi-branded van narrowly escaped being hit by an oncoming train at a railroad crossing. The driver, Tommy Cobbs, 53, was captured on video accelerating through a lowering gate just moments before the train passed by. Despite the harrowing close call, Cobbs was unharmed but has been charged with failure to obey traffic signs. The video, recorded by local resident Bob Brown, has garnered significant attention online, with over 30,000 views on Facebook. Brown expressed his disbelief at the close call, stating that it was a 'miracle' the driver was able to escape without injury. The incident caused about $2,000 in damages to the crossing gate, highlighting the dangers of ignoring railroad signals.