Traffic was backed up in Forsyth Friday night for about an hour, after a train collided with a car.
No one was seriously injured in the accident, but The Federal Railroad Administration says railroad crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in America.
Holly White, a business owner in downtown Forsyth, says Friday night, downtown Forsyth was packed with cars.
"All the parking spaces out front were pretty backed up for a little while because people were looking and stopping and weren't able to leave town," says White.
White says business slowed down and all eyes were on the railroad tracks.
"I stepped outside I opened the front door and you could see ambulance, fire trucks, first responders all down by the train tracks just two blocks away."
White grew up in Forsyth and knows the area well.
She says this doesn't happen often, but she understands how an accident like this happens.
"I know that they're aren't any arms there that go down like there are on Lee Street, which would be nice," she said.
White says she feels safe when she crosses the area, but notes railroad crossings don't have a guardrail to make people stop.
The Federal Railroad Administration says it's important to look both ways before driving through a railroad crossing. It is especially important in rural areas where there's no guard gate that comes down when a train is coming.
Gates or no gates, they say the first rule to rail safety is "always expect a train," and trains don't have the ability to stop quickly.
That was the case for the accident in Forsyth.
"A train isn't going to stop immediately. the train took almost three quarters of a mile to come to a stop after the accident. when you're dealing with a train you gotta look and you gotta yield to that train," said City of Forsyth Fire Department Chief David Herndon.
Federal Railroad Administration says trains move faster and closer than they appear, so don't try to race them.
They also say to follow warning signs around the tracks, and wait until the tracks are completely clear before crossing.