Interesting Tri-Rail trip - 6/16

Decided to take Tri-Rail train P663 today (6/16/07) from Mangonia Park to Metrorail and back. The trip went without event until leaving Pompano Beach. We must have been going about 70 MPH when all of a sudden I heard the horn blowing unusually loud. I knew there was a grade crossing coming up and I thought we were about to hit a car because the brakes kicked in. The grade crossing came up and I heard a smack. Finally I saw that it wasn't a car but the RR crossing gate that we had hit. I have no idea how it happened. The gate was scratching the train and I saw the mark that it left when I got off at Metrorail. I took train P664 back and the crossing was not fixed yet. We had to stop and put flares in the middle of the road and the conductor had to flag our train across. This will surely be a memorable trip.