Truck struck by train lands on raft in river; two critically injured
A mangled truck sits in the water after colliding with a train near Brentwood, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Bay Area News Group via AP)
BRENTWOOD, Calif. - Two people were critically injured Thursday afternoon when an Amtrak train struck a pickup truck outside of Brentwood, knocking it into the water and striking a person in a raft, according to Amtrak and fire officials.
Fire officials responded around 2:45 p.m. to a report of a collision between a train and vehicle near Orwood Road, according to the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.
The sole occupant of the pickup truck was ejected from the truck into a nearby body of water, fire officials said.
The tracks pass over the Middle River near Orwood and Fallman roads, according to maps of the area.
The truck then landed on a second victim who was on a raft in the water, according to fire officials.
The person on the raft and the truck's occupant were both taken to John Muir Medical Center by helicopter with critical injuries, fire officials said.
Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said none of the crewmembers or 145 passengers aboard Amtrak No. 713 reported any injuries. The train originated in Bakersfield and was bound for Oakland, she said.
A passenger on the train, Russell Bierle, said he didn't feel the impact of the truck, but he did see it sinking slowly into a body of water adjacent to the train.
The tracks run through an area bisected by tributaries and canals. The train had just crossed over a bridge when it struck the vehicle, Bierle said.
He saw someone run to help a person in the truck and heard an announcement saying someone had been seriously injured.