Vehicle Hit By Train, Goes Airborne In Peninsula Wreck

MENLO PARK, CA -- The driver of a vehicle clipped by a southbound commuter train was taken Tuesday evening to Stanford Medical Center after complaining of neck and back pain, Menlo Park fire officials said.

Southbound Caltrain No. 376 struck her heavily damaged Honda Civic at 6:17 p.m. at the Ravenswood Avenue grade crossing in Menlo Park. Fire officials arrived on the scene and found the only vehicle occupant standing and talking on her cell phone "about how she had almost just been killed by a train," per Capt. John Wurdinger of engine 6.

The woman in her 30s then explained to firefighters how she was caught in backed up traffic on westbound Ravenswood between El Camino Real and the tracks when the rail signal activated warning of an approaching train. Despite honking her horn, no motorists in front of her moved. Witnesses described the vehicle as being thrown into the air on impact and landing parallel next to the tracks. The train was not damaged and continued.

It was consequently determined she should receive medical care.

Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman called the crossing "notorious for many significant near miss and sadly tragic accidents involving the loss of life" and is a "poorly designed" one.

"The train can't swerve to avoid an impact, and if the Express is coming through it takes about a mile for it to slow down and stop because it's going about 80 miles per hour," the chief said.

A prior incident at that crossing occurred in February 2015, resulting in the woman dying.

Trains going north and south were cleared to move in 45 minutes, Bay City News reported.

Meanwhile, a Caltrain struck a person Wednesday morning in San Francisco south of the 22nd Street station.

--Image courtesy of the Menlo Park Fire District