Van Nuys woman, 35, ID’d after fatal Dorris vehicle vs train collision

UPDATED: Friday, Sept. 28, 1:30 p.m.

See original story below.

DORRIS — Officials have identified a Van Nuys woman who died after her vehicle smashed through a railroad crossing arm and drove at high-speed into the path of an oncoming Amtrak commuter train.

35-year-old, Ashley Jennifer Hinson, was identified yesterday as the victim killed in the collision with Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, which was headed toward Seattle after leaving Los Angeles.

Witnesses at the scene later told deputies investigating the crash that just before the collision the vehicle involved in the deadly wreck had been speeding, passing other vehicles, and driving erratically.

Officials also later reported that Hinson ignored the intersection’s flashing warning lights and smashed through the railroad’s crossing arm before the Amtrak train plowed into it.

Officials are still investigating the fatal crash and what may have led up to it.

 

Original Story: Driver and dog confirmed dead after Dorris fatal vehicle vs train collision

UPDATED: Tuesday, Sept. 25, With details from Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office

 

DORRIS — Details are still emerging and officials remain at the scene of a fatal accident after a train crashed into a recklessly speeding vehicle on SR-97 earlier this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 25.

According to a California Highway Patrol incident log and other sources, the fatal accident happened at E. First St./SR-97 and N. Railroad Ave., in the unincorporated community of Dorris, three miles south of the California-Oregon state line.

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CHP, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department, Dorris Volunteer Fire Department, Cal Fire, and other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene of the crash just before 8:30 a.m., after receiving reports of the collision. 911 callers reported the vehicle had been traveling at “high-speed” just before the accident and that the vehicle was possibly on fire.

When officials began arriving at the scene they found a northbound Amtrak Coast Starlight train, which travels between the cities of Seattle and Los Angeles, stopped on the tracks just north of SR-97.

Rescue personnel found the mangled and unrecognizable wreckage of a vehicle resting against a fence.

The vehicle, described by Klamath Falls News as black with Oregon plates, appeared to have been thrown several hundred feet by the tremendous impact with the train.

The vehicle was completely unrecognizable and vehicle parts and debris were scattered along both sides of the railroad tracks.

Officials at the scene called for additional resources as well as Union Pacific Railroad and CalTrans officials to respond to the crash, according to CHP’s incident log, which indicated the accident was not blocking travel on SR-97.

Witnesses at the scene later told deputies investigating the crash that the vehicle involved in the deadly wreck had been speeding, passing other vehicles, and driving erratically just before the collision. Officials also said the driver ignored the intersection’s flashing warning lights and smashed through the railroad’s crossing arm before the Amtrak train plowed into it.

Klamath Falls News reported from the scene that the driver succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. A dog was also found dead in the vehicle, according to officials.

Officials have not released the victim’s name, pending identification and notification of the person’s family.

As of this report, railroad officials had just finished replacing the destroyed crossing arm and the involved train has been fully inspected and is expected to begin heading northbound to Seattle again soon.

Deputies at the scene reported that the railroad crossing arm barriers and signals were functioning at the time of the collision.

Contacted for more information regarding the collision, CHP declined to comment and directed all inquiries to Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. SCSO has not yet responded to a request for additional details.

Siskiyou County Sheriff’s investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this fatal collision or who witnessed the crash and has not yet provided a statement to officials is encouraged to contact SCSO’s 24-hour Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

 

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 14 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.