Amtrak Derails After Collision at Railroad Crossing
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images(FRESNO, Calif.) — Dozens of people were injured Monday after a tractor-trailer plowed into the side of an Amtrak train in central California.
The driver of the truck reportedly failed to yield and hit the train, causing it to derail. California Highway Patrol officer Scott Jobinger says the passengers were lucky the train cars didn’t topple over.
“Most of them were at around 45-degree angles which would help prevent some of the injuries,” he said.
Shortly after the accident, all 169 passengers and the four crew members onboard were evacuated from the train. Though no fatalities were reported, about 40 people sustained minor to major injuries, reports ABC News affiliate KFSN-TV in Fresno, Calif. Some of the crash victims were treated at the scene, while others were transported by school buses to the Civic Auditorium in Hanford.
This is the third time in four years an Amtrak train has collided with a vehicle at the same railroad crossing in Handford, a town located about 40 minutes south of Fresno. While it’s a rural crossing, Amtrak says it is equipped with warning lights, bells and gates — enough that it should be apparent that a train is approaching.
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