We begin tonight with officials highlighting the importance of safety on the road after a train smashed into a car Yesterday in Cambria County.
Reporter Brock Owens tells us what one witness says he saw as the crash unfolded.
Just after 2 p.m. Wednesday Rick Truscello was heading down the hill on Eisenhower Boulevard in Richland Township before coming to the train tracks in the area of Krings Street.
“There was traffic backed up. I did notice the traffic was backed up on the tracks. In fact there were two vehicles that were on the track.”
He says one vehicle was able to get off the track but just a few seconds later the csx train reached the intersection striking a blue vehicle.
“Even though the train was going pretty slow, when it hit the front of that vehicle it tossed it around like the car was made out of cardboard and at that point my only thought was I wonder what’s going to happen to those
occupants inside of there because when I saw that car turn over in midair and essentially land on the roof, I thought the worst.”
The injuries to the person in the car did not seem life threatening according to a first responder that was at the scene.
Truscello says even though the train was not going fast the incident seemed to happen in a flash.
“Everything happened so quickly I couldn’t even tell you if the flashing signals were working or not. I don’t know.”
But he says he did hear the train’s horn as it was approaching.
Richland Township’s Fire Chief Wes Meyers has this message for anyone coming to a railroad crossing.
“You got to try and anticipate that if you’re going to go over a railroad crossing that you make sure that you can get across the tracks and not stop on the tracks. And I get it, everything would be on a case by case scenario but bottom line is you need to stop
before the tracks to make sure you’re going to pass through.”