Bothwell Ontario - Lambton OPP are investigating a crash involving a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train and large dump truck that claimed the life of a 78-year-old man.
 
Police have identified the driver as Michil Demaiter of Newbury, Ontrio.
 
Information received from the Chatham-Kent Police Service, which was first on the scene, was that a westbound freight train struck a truck at the rail crossing on Euphemia Line, just north west of Bothwell, just after 12:30 on Monday.
 
The impact sheared the box from the vehicle, leaving it on the side of the railway along with a pile of corn at the rail crossing.
 
The momentum of the freight train dragged the cab of the vehicle about half a kilometre, before stopping just before the rail crossing at Chatham-Kent Road 16, near Highway 79 (Cairo Road).
 
Demaiter was taken to Four Counties Hospital in Newbury, Ontario, and was pronounced dead a short time later.
 
Hugh Larkin was working at his shop nearby when he heard the screeching of metal on the track.
 
He could see the crash scene from his property.
 
He said the engineer of the train told him to call 911.
 
Larkin said the train engineer told him he was "laying on the horn" when he saw the vehicle at the railway crossing.
 
He added the engineer told him "the vehicle just kept creeping out onto the track."
 
Larkin said it took emergency crews about 15 minutes to get the victim out of the vehicle, so he could be transported to hospital.
 
Another man at the scene described the crossing on Euphemia Line, which is not signalized, as being dangerous because of the angle of the road that crosses the railway.
 
An e-mail from the CP public affairs department said the company "offers our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."
 
There were no injuries to the train crew, according to CP.
 
When asked about the Euphemia Line rail crossing, spokesperson Salem Woodrow, said, in an email:  "Safety is a priority at CP. The crossing meets all federal safety regulations and standards set forth by Transport Canada."
 
She added the type of crossing protection at each grade crossing is determined in conjunction with Transport Canada.
 
"With thousands of crossings along our network, each is assessed on its own merit as to the type of protection best suited for that crossing," Woodrow said.
 
The OPP Technical Traffic Collision Investigators were called to the scene.
 
The investigation is ongoing resulting in Cairo Road at Euphemia Line being closed for an unknown period.
 
Lambton OPP is asking anyone with information regarding this collision to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or 519-352-1122, or the nearest police authority.
 
Ellwood Shreve.