This is the heart-stopping moment a fool-hardy driver jumped a level crossing coming within inches of being hit by an oncoming train.

The impatient motorist was waiting in a queue of cars with the barriers closed as the locomotive carrying vehicles approached in Kampot, Cambodia.

But the driver appears to have been unable to wait and pulled out to overtake those in front of him, squeezing through a gap at the side of the red and white pole.

With the train just yards away, instead of stopping, the reckless motorists accelerated across the tracks to the astonishment of rail operator and those watching.

German businessman Torsten Schubert, who captured incident while trying to photograph the train, said: ''I was trying to take a photograph of the train.

''I was quite astonished when the driver pulled out in front of the train. He seemed to be risking his life. He was so close to being hit, the train could only have been one centimetre or less away.''

This is the heart-stopping moment a fool-hardy driver jumped a level-crossing - coming within inches of being hit by an oncoming train.

The impatient motorist was waiting in a queue of cars with the barriers closed as the locomotive carrying vehicles approached in Kampot, Cambodia.

But the driver appears to have been unable to wait, and pulled out to overtake those in front of him - squeezing through a gap at the side of the red and white pole.

With the train just yards away, instead of stopping the reckless motorists accelerated across the tracks - to the astonishment of rail operator and those watching.

German businessman Torsten Schubert, who captured incident while trying to photograph the train, said: ''I was trying to take a photograph of the train, because the type that passengers can drive onto are quite rare.

''But it was my friends camera and I didn't know how to operate it. I didn't know the video was recording and you can hear me on the clip asking how to use the camera.

''I was quite astonished when the driver pulled out in front of the train. He seemed to be risking his life. He had a death wish. He was so close to being hit, the train could only have been one centimetre or less away.

''It was lucky that I recorded the whole thing. I had only meant to take a photograph but I couldn't figure out the settings.''