Man Falls Asleep in Car on Railroad Tracks, Survives Freight Train
Police arrested a man who apparently was under the influence of alcohol when he stopped his car on some railroad tracks in Pacoima and fell asleep, then survived when a freight train smashed into his car today, police said.
The freight train smashed into the stopped car about 1:15 a.m. at Branford Street, on the Union Pacific tracks that parallel San Fernando Road, watch commanders at the Los Angeles Foothill Station and Valley Traffic Division said.
“Some poor drunk man fell asleep on the tracks and his car was struck by the freight train,” Valley Traffic Sgt. Cameron Dunnet said. “He’s being arrested. He’ll be booked in Van Nuys.”
The freight train clipped the front end of the man’s car and spun it off the railroad tracks, Foothill Station Sgt. Jim Reid said.
“He wasn’t injured at all,” Reid said.
The northbound freight train stopped and remained at the crash scene for about two hours, a news video cameraman at the scene reported.