Michelle Benson said her mother, a nurse, had been on her way to a shift at Warracknabeal when she lost control of her car. 

“The car slammed into a railway crossing pole near Rasmussen Road, Horsham,” she said.

“It’s been totalled.”

Ms Benson said the story could have ended badly when a train came through.

“Her car ended up on the train tracks,” she said.

“People stopped to help her, and moved the car off the tracks.

“About 10 minutes later, a train came through.

“It was a true Christmas miracle.”

Her mother, in her early 60s, was taken to Wimmera Base Hospital.

Ms Benson said her mother walked out of the hospital at 1.30am, about three hours after the crash, with minor injuries.