THIS is the terrifying moment a truck stuck on rail tracks is smashed by an oncoming train.
A blue semi truck cabin became lodged on snowy train tracks in Gastonia, North Carolina during a powerful winter storm.
The shaky video, taken by a shocked onlooker, shows an freight train barrel towards the truck – too late for it to move off the tracks.
The train crashes into the truck, smashes it to pieces as onlookers can be heard shouting in the background.
Miraculously, the driver escaped prior to the collision without injury.
Authorities said the area would “be tied up for quite some time” to clean up the scene.
Emergency officials have urged residents to “stay off the roads if possible” as dangerous winter weather continued to impact the area.
A “bomb cyclone snowstorm” – a storm that strengthens extremely fast -had just dumped the town and much of the Carolinas with inches of snow.
Wilmington and Raleigh in North Carolina and Columbia in South Carolina are expected to see record snowfall
Winter Storm Gianna has left around 35 million Americans under extreme weather warnings for snow and ice.
The rapidly intensifying storm brought heavy snow to the Southeast, dangerous winds along the East Coast and coastal flooding from North Carolina all the way to New England.
Bitter Arctic air over the eastern half of the country has helped fuel the system, turning what might have been a cold rain into snow.
Typically sunny Florida is experiencing freezing temperatures and there’s even a chance of snow flurries in Tampa Bay.
Orlando theme parks, including Disney World and Universal Studios have even temporarily closed in the bitter conditions.
Cities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have been hit with widespread power outages.
“This storm could unleash heavy snow and howling winds across the Southeast this weekend,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Scott Homan said.
“People need to prepare for the possibility of dangerous blizzard conditions in some coastal areas from North Carolina to the southern Jersey shore.
“Blizzard conditions may reach parts of Long Island and southern New England.”
Residents have been advised to secure loose objects and boat-owners have been wared about the dangers of heading to sea.
Forecasts for this weekend’s bomb cyclone
A bomb cyclone is expected to affect at least part of the eastern seaboard on Saturday, with the potential to move further north on Sunday
Mostly likely scenario:The bomb cyclone will bring heavy snow, coastal flooding, and winds to southeastern Virginia, North and South CarolinaThe eastern tip of Massachusetts, including Boston, could also be affected as the storm hugs the Atlantic
Second most likely scenario:If the storm shifts 100 to 200 miles to the west, heavy snow, wind, and coastal flooding could impact the I-95 corridor, including Washington D.C. and New York City along with Virginia, the Carolinas and New England
Least likely scenario: The storm stays offshore, with snowfall and winds not even hitting the Carolinas
The anticipated storm comes just a week after Winter Storm Fern raged from New Mexico to New England, killing at least 60 and plunging 230 million Americans into a mix of freezing cold temperatures, ice, and up to a foot of snow.
Frigid temperatures and weather-related accidents made the storm deadly.
In Texas, 16-year-old Elizabeth Angle died alongside her best friend in a sledding accident after they crashed into a tree.
Rebecca Rauber, a 28-year-old second grade teacher, died in Kansas after leaving a bar on Friday without a coat.
In Ohio, Richard Coelho Jr., 49, was hit by a snowplow on Sunday while driving a snowmobile.
In Michigan, college student Lucas Mattson was found dead after he was last seen without a coat, according to reports.
Expert’s fear this weekend’s storm has the potential to be further catastrophic for areas still recovering from the impacts of Winter Storm Fern.
