Train Hits Pickup; Driver Escapes Injury
A Santa Paula man was not injured Thursday morning when his pickup truck towing two portable toilets was hit by an eastbound Metrolink train near Somis.
Francisco Mendez Magana, 53, told California Highway Patrol investigators that he did not see or hear the commuter train approaching as he drove through a marked crossing on California 118 east of Balcom Canyon Road, said CHP Officer Steve Reid.
Reid said several passengers on the Moorpark-bound train said the crossing gates were down and the lights were flashing at the time of impact.
Trains were delayed for more than an hour in both directions after the 6:30 a.m. crash, Reid said. The investigation is continuing.
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