Truck driver injured in crash with Sacramento RT light rail train in Rancho Cordova
A pickup driver was injured Wednesday afternoon when the vehicle was struck by a light rail train in Rancho Cordova, pinning the pickup against a pole.
The crash was reported about 12:50 p.m. at the Sacramento Regional Transit District light rail train crossing at Folsom Boulevard and Mather Field Road, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District announced in a social media post.
A black Ford F-150 was pinned against the pole. The firefighting agency released photos of the wreckage that show the force of the impact appeared to have severed the pickup in half.
The pickup driver suffered minor to moderate injuries in the crash and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to Sacramento Metro Fire.
RT officials announced a shuttle bus bridge was put in place on the Gold Line between Butterfield and Cordova Town Center Stations. At 2:16 p.m., RT officials announced the bus bridge was ended, and normal train service had resumed.
Preliminary information in the investigation indicated that the pickup driver “tried to beat the train” at the crossing, said Devra Selenis, a RT spokeswoman. She said the pickup went around a down crossing arm, hitting crossing arm in the process, moments before the collision with the train.
The train operator and the passengers onboard were not injured in the crash, Selenis told The Sacramento Bee.
The light rail train crash created traffic delays and road closures in the area, Rancho Cordova police announced at about 1:20 p.m. in a social media post. About 40 minutes later, police said authorities had cleared the area and reopened it to vehicle traffic.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 2:54 PM.
