Aug 18, 2007

Man unscathed in train crash

Caltrain clips car, drags it 10 feet; driver says he blacked out

By Shaun Bishop / Daily News Staff Writer

Emergency responders said a motorist is lucky to be alive after he drove his car up a 15-foot embankment in San Mateo and was struck by a speeding train Friday morning.

The driver walked away uninjured from the unusual collision on the Caltrain tracks near the intersection of Laurie Meadows Drive and Pacific Boulevard about 7:30 a.m., San Mateo police Capt. Mike Callagy said.

The incident began as the man sped his Chrysler Concorde sedan west on Laurie Meadows and clipped another car before barreling up the hill, where the train tracks run above the roadway, Callagy said.

With the man still inside, a northbound train smashed into the rear of the car and dragged it about 10 feet, San Mateo fire battalion chief Mike Borean said.

Amtrak detective Joe Gross said early estimates put the train's speed at 79 mph as it hit the car.

"It was a spectacular collision. Everyone's very fortunate that no one was injured," Callagy said.

The nearest grade crossing to the accident site is Hillsdale Boulevard and why the man was speeding remained unclear Friday, Callagy said. The driver told Borean that he blacked out before speeding through the intersection. Callagy said police believe no drugs or alcohol were involved.

The man, whom Gross described as middle-aged, had a little blood on his lip but no serious injuries and refused medical attention at the scene. He was picked up by his wife, Gross said.

It took a tow truck until about 8:30 a.m. to pull the mangled car down to clear the tracks, said Caltrain spokeswoman Tasha Bartholomew.

Trains were running about 30 minutes behind schedule during the morning commute.

This was the second collision incident in the last two weeks for Caltrain. Fifty-three-year-old Chuck Fox was struck and killed Aug. 6 by a train just south of the Hayward Park station in San Mateo.

Bay City News contributed to this report.


E-mail Shaun Bishop at sbishop@dailynewsgroup.com.