A Haverstraw police sergeant stepped in to help a truck driver before a CSX freight train crashed into it near Route 9W and New Main Street in Haverstraw Thursday morning.

Raul Francisco, a new auto repair shop owner, had a front-row view and saw the officer firsthand.

"The officer was behind, told him 'get out of the truck, get out of the truck' That's the only reason he saved his life," says Francisco, of 3R&J Auto Repair.

Haverstraw Police Capt. John Gould spoke with News 12 about what his officer did after someone alerted him to the driver still being inside.

The sergeant, a 10-year veteran of the force, did not want to be interviewed.

"He was able to notify the driver who was inside the cab at the time on his phone, he didn't realize the train was coming. Our sergeant was able to notify him and get him out of the cab of the truck in time," says Gould. 

He added that there was not much time between that and impact - about five or six seconds. 

Gould says the driver made a wrong turn on his way to Bowline Power Plant, delivering titanium pipes in wooden boxes.

After turning around in the village, the truck bottomed out - ultimately getting struck on the tracks.

People in the area gave News 12 another video angle of Thursday's incident saying there's been similar issues with other big vehicles over the years at the intersection.

There are even signs alerting those drivers.

Crews spent hours picking up the pieces and trying to get things back on track.
 
The truck driver and everyone on board the freight train were not injured.