Video: Car Versus Train Accident In Centralia
Here is a video from the train accident that occurred in Centralia on Wednesday, September 23.
Centralia Police, Fire, and Life Star ambulance all responded to the Canadian National railroad crossing on Calumet between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon after a southbound CN freight train struck a westbound GMC Yukon SUV. The impact of the train pushed the SUV about a half-block south of the crossing, with the train engine taking about 5 blocks to stop near 14th Street.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident. Witnesses report that the driver, not aware there was another train coming, and southbound after a northbound train cleared the crossing, and proceeded onto the tracks at which point the southbound engine hit his vehicle pushing it down the tracks, knocking two wheels completely off, and pushing it out of the way on the west side of the track.
Centralia police and Canadian National police were still on scene nearly two hours later and all rail traffic through Centralia was halted until the wreckage could be cleared an investigation completed.
Centralia Police, Fire and Life Star Ambulance also responded to a second accident involving a RR crossing around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. A northbound driver on S. Elm reportedly fell asleep and ran off the highway slamming into a railroad crossing standard and gate at the 14th Street Norfolk-Southern RR crossing. The collision was hard enough to break loose the concrete base of the crossing and caused first responders to be concerned the whole standard and gate might fall across the highway.
The driver was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital to be treated, and was out of the vehicle by the time first responders arrived.
Photo by Tim Ferg
Provided Photo
Updated 9-25-20 to include information on both accidents.
The information about the Calumet Street collision fails to point out that the SUV driver drove around the lowered crossing gate (visible in the video), an illegal act which could have cost him his life. The gates were down, the warning lights were flashing and the train was blowing its horn. He had his car stereo turned up so loud that people on the street could hear it outside the vehicle.
This collision need not have happened and the SUV driver is very fortunate to have survived without injury.
Those cars aren’t even the same color. Clearly different events.
If you would have read the whole article, they did talk about 2 events. A driver feel asleep and struck a RR crossing signal, Einstein!!
It appears you have news about two different accidents in one story. The car that ran into the pole after the driver fell asleep seems to be the one that where the driver was taken to the hospital and released. What happened to the driver that was in the SUV that got hit by the train? It’s hard to believe that person just walked away from the hospital after an accident like that.
UM YEAH