21 Injured After Metrolink Train Crashes Into Tractor Trailer in Sun Valley: LAFD
Posted 11:15 AM, September 6, 2016, by Tracy Bloom, Chris Wolfe and Cindy Von Quednow, Updated at 03:28pm, September 6, 2016
At least 21 people were transported to local hospitals after a Metrolink train crashed into a tractor trailer that was trying to get off the tracks in Sun Valley on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
A patient was removed from a Metrolink train following a crash in Sun Valley on Sept. 6, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)
The crash occurred about 10:39 a.m. in the 8200 block of San Fernando Road, according to an LAFD alert. The train, which had six cars and a total of 187 passengers aboard, struck the truck from behind on the tracks.
The driver of the truck was not injured, officials said.
AV Line 212 was headed from Lancaster to Los Angeles at the time, according to Metrolink.
Sky5 aerial video showed the train was stopped on the tracks, with multiple emergency vehicles -- including LAFD trucks and ambulances, as well as Los Angeles Police Department patrol cars -- parked on the surrounding tracks.
Witnesses said the tractor trailer was in the middle of the tracks when the railroad crossing arms went down, the red lights started flashing and the bells were ringing.
The driver apparently tried to get off the tracks when the train hit the trailer.
“I just heard like a big boom when the trailer was trying to pass by quick,” said Jose Zamaniego, who was working at a nearby store at the time of the crash.
“I thought it was a big crash, but I didn’t see anything bad.”
Multiple patients -- most with apparently minor injuries -- were being treated after a Metrolink crash in Sun Valley on Sept. 6, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)
A triage area was set up near the train, and multiple people were being treated by emergency personnel, the aerial footage showed.
The injuries were considered to be minor and not life-threatening, according to LAFD.
By noon, the train was headed to its next destination. Officials warned passengers to expect delays of about 1 hour and 45 minutes for the line as a result of the incident.
A portion of San Fernando Road was temporarily shut down by the Department of Transportation as first responders worked to assess the number of patients.
The crash is under investigation and the driver has not been arrested.
September is Rail Safety Month, Metrolink spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt told the Los Angeles Times.
There have been at least 15 collisions at the Sunland and San Fernando crossing since Metrolink began operating in 1993, the Times reported.
Multiple emergency vehicles responded to a train crash in Sun Valley on Sept. 6, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)
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Los Angeles passenger train crash injures 21
SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
Nearly two dozen people were injured when a Metrolink commuter train carrying nearly 200 passengers crashed into a semi truck on Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, fire department officials said.
The collision occurred around 10:40 a.m. local time in Sun Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The department said 21 people were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.
The driver of the truck was uninjured, the fire department said. Dozens of firefighters and medical personnel triaged the train's 187 passengers, fire department spokesman Erik Scott said.
Scott said the crash occurred in an intersection and a crossing guard arm appeared to have been snapped. Fire and Metrolink officials said the five-car, double-decker train suffered very minor damage and was able to continue on its route.
Law enforcement were conducting an investigation into the crash, Scott said.