MAY. 23, 2015
HUNTINGTON, WV
A woman walked away without any serious injuries Friday
afternoon after a train crashed into her vehicle in the 5500 block of W.Va. 2.
The woman was in her minivan when the train hit, but only
suffered a cut to her finger.
The incident happened just before 5 p.m.
Authorities say the woman turned off W.Va. 2 about two miles
outside of Guyandotte and was crossing the train tracks to a residential area
when the train hit the passenger side of the vehicle. There are no railroad
crossing barriers at the intersection.
Cabell County Sheriff Tom McComas said deputies believe she
thought she could beat the train.
"It's not worth the game of chicken," McComas
said. "The two, three or four minutes you will spend waiting for the train
to pass is not greater than the time spent injuring yourself or your vehicle,
or even loss of life."
The train was going about 30 miles per hour and honked its
horn several times, according to authorities at the scene.
In addition to the sheriff's department, West Virginia State
Police and the Ohio River Road Volunteer Fire Department also responded.
One lane of W.Va. 2 was closed for a period of time while
crews cleared the scene. Traffic was alternated during that time.