Sullivan, New York (WSYR-TV) - A well-known karate instructor was killed Tuesday night when his car was hit by a train in Madison County.
State Police say Peter Musacchio, 70, of Curwood Drive in East Syracuse died when the train struck his car as it sat on the tracks at the CSX railroad crossing on Canaseraga Road in the town of Sullivan.
Musacchio was a sensei and founded CNY Karate as well as other karate businesses in central New York.
Friends and fellow instructors say he was one of the most popular instructors in the area, and also a martial arts pioneer in the region.
“He believed that less was more – he worked on the fundamentals a lot,” says Marvin Labatte, who worked with Musacchio. “He didn’t like all the modern fancy martial arts that you see out there…he was a traditionalist, he believed in the value of martial arts as well as the techniques.”
Engineers on the 70-car CSX train told police flashers were on and crossing arms were down at 6:20 p.m. as Musacchio appeared to be trying to back up in his 2003 Honda to get off the tracks.
Investigators say Mussachio may have been in the process of removing his seatbelt to get out of the car when it was hit by the train.
Troopers say the train struck the right fender of the car, spinning it around and ejecting Mussachio. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family told police that Mussachio liked to drive on back roads when he traveled.
The investigation into the accident is continuing.
