2 days ago
Driver killed when Amtrak train strikes SUV in Empire, CHP reports
A driver was killed Monday afternoon when an SUV was struck by a southbound Amtrak train at a railroad crossing in Empire, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash happened around 1:26 p.m. on Yosemite Boulevard/Highway 132, just west of Santa Fe Avenue, the CHP said in a news release. Emergency personnel arrived to find the SUV fully engulfed in flames and the train stopped on the tracks. The driver of the Chevrolet SUV was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a preliminary investigation, the SUV was headed east on Yosemite Boulevard and approached the crossing while the warning systems — including the crossing arms, flashing red lights and audible alarms — were active. The driver allegedly entered the westbound lane to go around the lowered crossing arms and drove into the path of the train.
The front of the train struck the driver's side of the SUV, causing the vehicle to be pushed in a southerly direction before catching fire, the CHP said.
One passenger aboard the Amtrak train was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Investigators have not yet determined whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. The incident remains under investigation.
No identifying information about the driver has been released.
