There was more than one car on the train tracks just seconds before a train struck a vehicle in Cambria County on Wednesday.
Rick Truscello said he was travelling down Eisenhower Boulevard just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon and was just a few cars behind the blue SUV that ended up getting hit by a CSX train.
Truscello said there was traffic backed up near the intersection of Krings Street with about a half dozen cars on each side of the train tracks before the collision.
“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,” Truscello said. “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.”
We are unsure of the exact condition of the person injured in the incident but a first responder that was on scene said the injuries do not seem life threatening.
Richland Township Fire Chief Wes Meyers warns drivers to make sure they are anticipating coming up on a railroad crossing, and if it is not obvious that they can make it across to make sure they stop before reaching the tracks.
“I get it. Everything would be on a case-by-case scenario,” Meyers said. “But bottom line is you need to stop before the tracks to make sure you're going to pass through.”
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