27 July 2004 Stupid and Lucky Winnipeg - Twelve people, including two children, were hospitalized yesterday after a van hit a train when the driver tried to beat it across a West End crossing. Witnesses said the full-sized passenger van swerved into the oncoming traffic lane to pass a car that had already stopped at the controlled intersection on Logan Avenue near Weston Street.   "The driver thought he could beat the train," said Timothy Eko-Davis, who was working at a nearby Husky service station when he witnessed the crash about 2 p.m.   "It was a really loud bang, you could hear the windows smashing."   He asked his boss to call 911 and then ran up to the van to check on its occupants.   "The driver's face was all bloody, there was blood on his shirt," said Eko-Davis, who was questioned by police at the scene.   "I think one of the kids hurt his neck really bad. They were all crying."   He said the driver ignored the crossing's lights and bells, which were working properly at the time of the accident.   All of the van's occupants are from outside of the city, Winnipeg police patrol Sgt. Rob Riffel said.   No charges had been laid as of press time last night.   About 25 passersby stood behind police tape and watched as paramedics loaded the injured into waiting ambulances.   The van's occupants lay in the grass and leaned against a telephone pole while awaiting treatment.   Both kids were rushed to Children's Hospital in unstable condition and later upgraded to stable. Ten adults, all stable, were taken to various health centres in Winnipeg.   Several of them were taken away on stretchers, while one woman with an injured right leg hopped several metres to a waiting emergency vehicle.   CP Rail spokesman Ed Greenberg said the train's crew were shaken but not seriously injured.   "It's always dangerous when someone tries to beat a train," he said.   In 2003, there were 248 collisions at railway crossing in Canada, according to Operation Lifesaver Canada.   Twenty-six people died and 51 people had serious injuries.   Another 46 people died while trespassing on railway land, while 21 were seriously injured.   The westbound locomotive severely damaged the van's front end and dragged the vehicle a few metres.   The train was hauling empty cars at no more than 16 km/h, Greenberg said.   Traffic on Logan Avenue was re-routed for several hours while Winnipeg and CP Rail police investigated.   A woman who lives nearby said she's seen too many close calls at the crossing and wants safety arms installed there.   "People are always trying to beat the trains here," said the woman, surrounded by her young children.   "This time they were stupid and lucky."