BEVERLY - Bill Kotsifas' life changed in 30 seconds, when he saw the light - the railroad crossing warning light, that is.

The 40-year-old was driving home to Lowell in the fog after finishing an evening class at Endicott College. He negotiated a curve on Hale Street near the Prides Crossing commuter rail station, and his GMC Envoy ended up getting stuck on the tracks.

Kotsifas tried repeatedly to get his sport utility vehicle dislodged. A passing motorist even stopped to help.

Then everything changed.

"The lights started flashing, the (train) lights came up, and we bolted," Kotsifas said.

An MBTA commuter train heading toward Rockport slammed into the rear of the SUV shortly after 8:30 p.m. The GMC was totaled, but Kotsifas was not injured. None of the 40 passengers aboard the train was injured.

"It was almost like something from a movie," Kotsifas said. "It's amazing how life changes in 30 seconds."

After the crash, Kotsifas managed to get his belongings out of the car and was waiting for his wife to come pick him up.

"I told my wife - she thought I was kidding. It's almost unbelievable," he said.

Train conductor Joe Ryan of Danvers said the train was going at track speed, around 59 mph, when the collision occurred.

"I heard a noise, and I knew something was up," Ryan said.

The train stopped a few hundred yards up the tracks.

"I expected the worst and, thank God, the guy was fine and had the sense to get out of the car."

The train had left North Station at 8 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Rockport at 9:07 p.m. The train had just departed the Montserrat commuter rail station and was heading to the Beverly Farms stop. The train does not stop at Prides Crossing.

The Beverly Police and Fire departments responded to the crash scene and temporarily shut down the road while the vehicle was removed from the tracks and witnesses were interviewed.

Northeast Regional Ambulance also responded.

Neighbors who live near the railroad crossing came out of their home after seeing the flashing red and blue lights but were surprised to hear what happened, since they didn't hear the crash.

Kotsifas remembers the noise and how loud it was. The vehicle's rear was smashed in, and there was a tire lodged in between the tracks after Cross Towing removed the wrecked SUV.

Beverly police said the crash is being investigated by the MBTA police.

MBTA police said the train was still at the scene of the crash as of press time last night, and the passengers on the train involved in the crash and remaining trains of the day were being bused to their stops.