'Very scary': B.C. man alive after being hit by train

RCMP in B.C.'s Shuswap region say a man is lucky to survive being hit by a passing train over the weekend.

Police said the 57-year-old man who uses a walker was crossing the tracks on Pine Street in Chase around 1:45 p.m. PT Sunday when he was struck by a westbound CP train.

"Due to the walker and the snow conditions ... he wasn't able to cross as quickly as he normally would," said Cpl. Scott Linklater of Chase RCMP.

"The way a witness described it, he was actually struck in the back and kind of tossed forward onto his face onto the ground.

"It is very scary. It could have been a lot more serious than it was."

Driver goes through barricade

Linklater says the train was going about 30 km/ hr when it hit the man. 

Police said he is recovering in hospital in Salmon Arm with non life-threatening injuries.

"Anytime you hear that somebody has been hit by a train, you're surprised that the injuries weren't fatal," said Linklater.

Shortly after the incident, the train was stopped at a street-level crossing waiting for emergency crews with the barricade down. Linklater said a motorist "was impatient, wasn't waiting for police to arrive."

He said the driver smashed though the barricade with the car and then drove away.

Anyone with information is asked to call Chase RCMP or the CP Police Service.