Elderly woman saved after her car crashes into path of oncoming train in Santa Ana
Two people pushed a car off of railroad tracks, moving an elderly motorist out of the path of an oncoming train following a collision in Santa Ana on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
A white Pontiac Grand Am involved in a two-vehicle traffic collision at the intersection of 17th Street and Lincoln Avenue traveled into a nearby railroad crossing at about 3:15 p.m. as an Amtrak train was approaching, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. He said two residents who were in the area pushed the car away from the tracks and removed a woman in her 90s from the vehicle’s driver seat.
Santa Ana – OCFA on scene of a two vehicle TC at the intersection of Seventeenth and Lincoln Ave. One female patient transported to area trauma center by OCFA medics. Santa Ana PD investigating incident. pic.twitter.com/3irBhjwlkf
— OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) January 8, 2019
Kanwar Singh of Fullerton said he was driving home from a doctor’s appointment, and pulled over to help when he saw the Amtrak engine on a collision course with the woman’s car. He said he managed to carry her out of the vehicle shortly before the train struck the sedan’s open driver side door.
“I opened the door and took out the lady because the train was on the way.” he said. “She’s lucky.”
The driver was injured and was taken to a local hospital, according to Kurtz.
ALERT: Trains have resumed operations through #SantaAna at reduced speeds due to vehicle on the tracks; updates to follow
— Pacific Surfliner (@PacSurfliners) January 9, 2019