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ST. CLAIR TWP. — A pickup truck was struck by a train Thursday morning at a railroad crossing on Trenton Road, mangling the vehicle and snarling traffic for hours, but the driver walked away with minor injuries, according to a witness and the Butler County Sheriff's Office.

The crash occurred just hours after another accident at the same crossing that also resulted in minor injuries, said Sgt. Monte Mayer, sheriff's office spokesman.

Kristina Williams, 27, of Wayne Madison Road, was driving 1998 Chevy pickup west on Trenton Road, when she went around the railroad crossing gate and was hit by a southbound Norfolk & Southern train near U.S. 127 just north of New Miami.

The pickup was pushed into the crossing gate on the east side of the crossing, smashing it to the ground. Williams indicated she was trying to get across the tracks before the train, Mayer said. Williams suffered only minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene. She was cited for a train crossing violation.

"She was pretty shook up," said Tom VanDale, of Paul and Sons Trucking that sits beside the crossing. "She's lucky that train was going pretty slow. Usually they fly through here. So do the cars."

Co-worker John McConnell said the crash sounded like a clap of thunder.

"But she got out right away. She said she didn't want to be late to work," McConnell said. He noted it is a common occurrence to see drivers trying beat the train at the crossing that is heavily traveled by both trains and vehicles.

Ironically, the westbound crossing gate was struck at the same crossing late Wednesday night during a two-vehicle crash that did not involve a train at the same crossing.

Mayer said Shannon Gill, 26, of Fenton Street, Hamilton, was driving a car east on Trenton Road at about 9:45 p.m. when she hit a car driven by Harold Crain, 65, of Maple Street in Overpeck, in the rear as it was crossing the tracks.

Gill's vehicle then veered off the road and hit the crossing gate. Two passengers in Gill's vehicle and a passenger in Crain's car were transported to The Fort Hamilton Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to Chief Steve Weigold of the St. Clair-New Miami Life Squad.

Mayer said Gill was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance. The crossing gate was repaired by railroad workers shortly after the accident and was functional when the second crash occurred this morning, he said.