Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, and Cheri Carlson, Brian Varela and Isaiah Murtaugh, Ventura County Star
An Amtrak train carrying about 200 people partially derailed in Southern California on Wednesday after it collided with a water truck, causing minor injuries and critically injuring the truck driver, officials said.
Three of the train’s seven cars had derailed after it collided with a Ventura County Public Works truck in Moorpark, California, shortly after 11 a.m., officials said.
Sixteen people were taken to hospitals with minor or moderate injuries, while the truck driver was taken to a trauma center, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. Ventura County officials said the truck driver sustained serious injuries but was in stable condition.
The train was heading northbound toward Seattle when it collided with the truck that had been delivering water to local ranches, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dean Worthy said at a news briefing.
Authorities had conflicting numbers of passengers on the derailed train. Worthy said between 190 and 210 people were on the train, including Amtrak employees.
McGrath said the circumstances leading up to the wreck weren’t known and the incident is being investigated.
Passengers appeared mostly uninjured
The accident happened near Muranaka Farms in Moorpark, a city of about 35,000 residents roughly 50 miles outside downtown Los Angeles.
Ventura County Fire officials said the passengers aboard the Amtrak Coast Starlight’s train 14 appeared mostly uninjured, with some bumps and scrapes that were considered minor injuries.
Three of the train’s cars derailed, fire officials said. Photos from the scene showed the county work truck with major damage and parts of it were seen scattered around the derailed cars.
The water truck had been “obstructing tracks” in Moorpark when it was hit, the rail agency said.
Amtrak’s tally of people on the train was higher than an earlier number from county officials.
About 198 passengers and 13 crew members were on board, Amtrak said. But Ventura County Fire Engineer Andy VanSciver said based on the count of people getting off the train, there were 186 passengers. All were evacuated without serious injuries.
“The train derailed as a result of the impact but remained upright,” the statement from spokesperson Kimberly Woods said. “Amtrak is working with customers to make alternate travel arrangements. Amtrak, in coordination with local authorities, is conducting a full investigation.”
A reunification center for families was set up at the Moorpark Adult Active Center. As of 5 p.m., most people at the center were picked up or had boarded buses to Union Station in Los Angeles.
‘All of a sudden: Smack!’
Mindy Faver was seated facing the rear of the train for a birthday trip with her mother Sheri Peterson to visit family in Oregon.
“All of a sudden: Smack!” Faver said, describing the impact. Faver said she then saw what she later found out was the water truck’s tank tumbling past her window.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Faver said.
Contributing: Ventura County Star; Associated Press
USA TODAY NETWORK
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