A woman died Tuesday after her car stopped at a railroad crossing and was hit by an Amtrak train.
The crash happened around 10:40 a.m. at a crossing located at North Lewis Road and Upland Road.
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, a 63-year-old woman was driving her vehicle west on Upland Road. For reasons that are under investigation, the woman stopped the vehicle on the tracks.
The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train had just entered city limits headed southbound and the conductor immediately applied the emergency brake once recognizing there was a vehicle on the tracks.
Despite the emergency braking, the train crashed into the side of the stationary vehicle, pushing it into the signal control box that controls the railroad arms.
Debris from inside the woman’s car could be seen tossed about the crash site.
Fire crews extricated the woman from the mangled vehicle and she was flown by helicopter to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.
No injuries were reported on the train, which did not derail, the Ventura County Fire Department said.
Around 5 p.m. Tuesday evening, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the woman was killed in the crash. She’s been identified only as a 63-year-old transient woman.
The tracks were closed between Moorpark and Camarillo due to the incident and traffic on both Amtrak and Metrolink was affected by the closure.
Officials say traffic signals at the intersection will be flashing red through Wednesday and possibly later.
The Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to remember the rules of the road when approaching a railroad crossing: if red lights are flashing, you are required to stop, even if the crossing arms aren’t down yet. You should never, under any circumstances, stop your vehicle on railroad tracks.
This deadly collision is under investigation by the Camarillo Police Department Traffic Bureau and any witnesses are urged to contact Deputy Luke Riordan at 805-388-5100.