Train Hits Van Stuck on Tracks in Traffic

Dennis King on Monday faced one of the greatest fears a motorist can experience: His vehicle was stuck in traffic smack across railroad tracks--and the train was coming, fast.

King was approaching the tracks on State College Boulevard at Katella Avenue about 8 a.m. when he got caught in a traffic jam because of construction.

Then the warning lights started flashing, the horns began blaring and he could do nothing about it.

“I couldn’t get out of the way,” King, 59, of Westminster, said. “I knew the train was coming but there was nothing I could do.”

Boxed in on all four sides, King inched forward, nudging the car ahead of him, but the Amtrak passenger train struck the rear of his van. No one was seriously injured, Anaheim Police Sgt. Joe Vargas said.

King said he was on his way to work at an Anaheim cabinet company when the road narrowed from three lanes to two because of road construction.

“My car is kind of mashed up in the rear but I’m OK as far as I know. I was wearing my seat belt,” he said.

Train engineer E.N. Smith attempted to stop the train, but couldn’t.

“When I saw the car, I hit the brakes, but didn’t have enough time to stop,” he said. The train slowed to about 50 mph from 70 mph.

“I just want to tell people that if they aren’t sure they’ll have time to pull off the tracks, they shouldn’t pull onto them. No one should take that chance,” Smith said.

Michael Smith, 30, of Moreno Valley was in the pickup in front of King and was jostled by the impact, Vargas said. He was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange after complaining of neck and back pain. There were no other injuries.

Passengers on the southbound train were bused to a nearby station and put on another train, Vargas said.

Police will conduct an investigation to determine whether King will be cited, he added.

Vargas said the incident underscores the need for drivers to exercise caution when they are anywhere near tracks.