Freight train crashes into car stuck on railroad tracks

A driver lost control of his car Thursday and was stuck on the railroad tracks near Salida Boulevard, before a freight train crashed into the vehicle just west of Highway 99 in Modesto.

The crash occurred about 12:30 p.m. on the railroad tracks, just south of the railroad crossing at the Salida Boulevard and North Dakota Avenue intersection.

The driver of the white compact car was heading south on Salida Boulevard about 40 mph and lost control, veering off the road, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jeff Abrahamson.

The car was disabled on the tracks. Abrahamson said the CHP was informed of the disabled car and notified Union Pacific Railroad officials.

The freight train conductor applied the emergency brakes slightly more than 3 miles away from the disabled car. The train was not able to stop in time and struck the car. Abrahamson said train was moving relatively slowly as it hit the car.

By the time the train crash occurred, the car's driver had already got out of his vehicle. Nobody else was in the car. There were no reported injuries. The car's front end sustained significant damage.

The railroad crossing just south of Salida remained closed for about an hour as authorities investigated the crash and a tow-truck removed the wrecked car.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Freight train crashes into car stuck on railroad tracks."