Major injuries reported after driver who went around Redding train traffic control arms struck by train
REDDING Calif., — Authorities say a woman who witnesses reported went around stopped traffic and a set of traffic control arms at a Redding train crossing suffered major injuries when her vehicle was struck by an oncoming train Tuesday evening, Dec. 14.
The collision forced the hours-long closure of multiple streets at the railroad crossing – including South, Placer, and Sacramento streets, according to officials; who have said the roadway has since been reopened.
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City of Redding police and fire personnel were dispatched to the scene around 8:20 pm, after receiving multiple reports of a collision involving a vehicle and train, Redding Police Sergeant Michael DiMatteo later reported.
When officials arrived they found a burgundy Ford sedan with major damage sitting to the front of a stopped Union Pacific train, according to DiMatteo; who said, “The driver of the vehicle was identified as a 50-year-old female of Redding, and was suffering from visible injuries.”
The victim was rushed by ground ambulance to nearby Mercy Medical Center with major injuries, where she remains hospitalized.
A 50-year-old woman suffered major injuries after witnesses say she briefly stopped at a Redding railroad crossing before going around other stopped vehicles and a set of traffic control arms and was struck by an oncoming train. Redding Police Department photo
During their subsequent investigation, Traffic Unit officers interviewed multiple witnesses who said the woman had been traveling westbound on South Street and came to a stop behind other vehicles that had stopped for the traffic control arms east of the railroad crossing.
“Per witnesses contacted at the scene, the driver of the Ford drove her vehicle westbound in the eastbound lanes of South Street and around the railroad crossing arms which had been activated at the location,” DiMatteo continued.
“A Union Pacific train traveling southbound was unable to stop upon observing the Ford sedan drive into the intersection,” the sergeant continued; adding, “The Ford sedan was struck by the train and came to rest against a metal railroad crossing signal located on the southwest corner of the intersection.”
At this time, it is unknown if drug and/or alcohol intoxication were contributing factors in this collision.
Redding PD’s investigation is active and ongoing and anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department Traffic Unit at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R081367 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
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 30 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 18 grandchildren.