BOISE, Idaho — No one was hurt when a train struck a passenger car stopped on the tracks in Weiser Monday morning.
The collision happened at about 7 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 95 and Sunnyside Drive.
According to Chief Deputy Cody Strong with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the woman driving the car swung a turn too wide and ended up high-centered on the track.
She was trying to get the car off the tracks when the train approached, Strong says. The woman was able to get clear of her vehicle before the collision, but the car was smashed.
Neither the driver of the car nor anyone on board the train was hurt, Strong said. Photos show major damage to the rear of the car.
The wreckage of the car has been removed from the track, but the train was stopped in Weiser for some time as railroad employees waited for a relief crew to arrive, according to officials.
Car hit by train in Weiser
Strong said the investigation is still going on, and it is too early to say whether the driver of the car will be cited.
But he stressed that anyone who finds themself similarly stuck on a train track should call 911 or the railroad 1-800 number posted at the crossing as soon as they can. If the woman had called for help rather than trying to get her car unstuck by herself, Strong said, authorities may have been able to radio to the train operator to stop in time.
"We probably could have avoided this whole incident," he said.