A Beaver County man last night was pulled from his car minutes before a train struck and crushed the vehicle.

The West Mayfield man had fallen asleep at the wheel about 7 p.m. on the 800 block of 37th Street in Beaver Falls. The car went over an embankment and landed on its roof on railroad tracks.

An off-duty firefighter saw the accident and rushed to help the driver escape the wreckage. Shortly afterwards, a Norfolk Southern train smashed into the car and pushed it about 1,000 feet.

The driver was treated for head injuries at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Oakland.