Train Hits Dump Truck Near Somis

An Amtrak train collided with a dump truck at a private railway crossing near Somis on Wednesday, not far from a similar crash earlier this month that injured nearly two dozen people.

There were no major injuries in the 2 p.m. accident on tracks near Sand Canyon Road, about nine miles southwest of Moorpark, said California Highway Patrol Officer Brandon Mumme. Initial reports indicate that the dump truck drove onto the tracks in front of the westbound train, Mumme said.

Pacific Surfliner No. 769 was bound for Goleta in Santa Barbara County with 109 passengers and four crew members, said Vernae Graham, an Amtrak spokeswoman. An engineer sought treatment for a bump to his head but no other injuries were reported, she said.

The train resumed its journey about 3:45 p.m., Graham said.

A similar crash occurred Aug. 5 when a southbound Amtrak train barreled into a large dump truck crossing the tracks near Somis. The driver of the dump truck and his passenger were seriously injured, and 20 train passengers were taken to local hospitals for minor to moderate injuries.

Safety upgrades are planned for the private crossing involved in the Aug. 5 crash and another one in rural Ventura County deemed unsafe. County transit officials will use $494,000 in federal money to add gates, bells and lights in an effort to upgrade safety at several private, unguarded crossings.

The intersection where Wednesday’s collision occurred is not part of that plan, said Mary Travis, manager of rail programs for the Ventura County Transportation Commission.

But officials hope to refurbish a farm road and bridge that crosses Long Canyon Creek that would provide motorists with an alternate route, Travis said.