Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Amtrak train with 198 passengers derails after hitting truck on tracks in Southern California

Emergency personnel respond to the scene after an Amtrak passenger train derailed after striking a vehicle on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 in Moorpark, Calif. Three of the trains seven cars carrying 190 passengers went off the tracks following the collision said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. (KABC via AP) Emergency personnel respond to the scene after an Amtrak passenger train derailed after striking a vehicle on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 in Moorpark, Calif. Three of the trains seven cars carrying 190 passengers went off the tracks following the collision said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. (KABC via AP)
Share
MOORPARK, Calif. -

An Amtrak train carrying nearly 200 passengers struck a county water truck and derailed on Wednesday in Southern California, critically injuring the truck's driver, authorities said.

Three of the train's seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. Fourteen people on the train were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, while the truck driver was taken to a trauma center with a head injury, McGrath said.

Parts of the demolished Ventura County Public Works truck were scattered all around the derailed train cars. McGrath initially said the truck's driver was believed to have gotten out of the vehicle before the crash, but later clarified that the circumstances leading up to the wreck weren't known.

"No one's talked to him, so the whole situation is still being investigated," he said.

The derailed train cars remained upright on tracks adjacent to an orchard and bare sections of land.

Mindy Faver was seated facing the rear of the train after a trip with her mother, Shari Peterson, returning from visiting family in Oregon.

"All of a sudden: Smack!" Faver said, describing the impact. Then Faver saw what she later found out was the water truck's tank tumbling past her window.

Most of the passengers were able to get off the train cars on their own or with the aid of first responders, McGrath said. TV news helicopters showed numerous people, many carrying luggage, milling about in a field as firefighters worked the scene.

"It could have been a lot worse," Faver told the Ventura County Star.

The train was on its way to Los Angeles from Seattle when "it struck a water truck obstructing the tracks" at 11:15 a.m., Amtrak said in a statement.

"There were approximately 198 passengers and 13 crew onboard who were evacuated from the train, with no reports of serious injuries," the statement said. "Amtrak is working with customers to make alternate travel arrangements. Amtrak, in coordination with local authorities, is conducting a full investigation."

Crews were able to quickly douse a small fire, McGrath said.

Moorpark is a city of some 35,000 people located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.