Moony, was this incident in a rural or built-up area? You would think it one of two possibilities - the driver decides that he could beat the train or, sadly, a suicide. I don't know about the States, but down here, a train in a rural area is not something that would surprise a road user at a level crossing. In the wide expanses of country areas, you can usually see, or at least hear a choo choo for miles around. Very sad.
'Try not to have a good time...this is supposed to be educational.' - Lucy Van Pelt