Amtrak Train Hits Tractor-Trailer Hauling Strawberries in Oxnard

A northbound Amtrak passenger train hit a tractor-trailer hauling frozen strawberries in Oxnard on Monday, causing some minor injuries and snarling rush-hour traffic, authorities said.

Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner collided with the truck about 4:30 p.m. at the rail crossing at 5th Street and Rose Avenue, said Oxnard Fire Battalion Chief Chris Donabedian. The train did not derail. Two train passengers were transported to the hospital, including a 16-year-old girl who reported neck soreness and an adult who complained of chest pains. The driver of the truck was not injured, Donabedian said.

Two charter buses were dispatched to the scene to transport train passengers to destinations north of Oxnard, according to an Amtrak spokesman. The train originated in San Diego and was headed to San Luis Obispo. Authorities would not speculate on the cause of the accident or how fast the train was traveling at the moment of impact. But the guardrails and crossing lights were operating properly, Donabedian said.