Metrolink train collides with tractor-trailer in Sun Valley; no serious injuries reported

A Metrolink train heading south toward Los Angeles on the Antelope Valley line struck a tractor-trailer sitting on the tracks Tuesday morning, officials said. No serious injuries were reported.

The train had just pulled out of the Sun Valley station and was moving 15-20 mph when it struck the truck at 10:35 a.m., said Metrolink spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt.

After the collision, 16 passengers requested medical attention, but no one was seriously hurt, Coffelt said. The driver of truck was not injured, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Nearly 190 passengers were aboard the train’s six cars when the collision occurred, and firefighters made their way through each cabin assessing occupants, the LAFD said.

In an ironic twist, September is Rail Safety Month, Coffelt said, and the agency is reminding Los Angeles County residents that if they are stuck on the tracks, they should call the phone number posted at the rail crossing to notify a railroad official.

“Call the number and it gets sent directly to the dispatching office,” Coffelt said. “They can stop a train before a collision happens.”

The crossing at Sunland and San Fernando has seen at least 15 collisions, including Tuesday’s, since Metrolink began operating in 1993. A Times database lists most of these incidents.

The intersection is equipped with flashing lights and red-and-white gate arms that lower when trains approach. About 27 trains pass through the crossing every day, according to federal data.

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UPDATES:

11:55 a.m.: This article has been updated with details on injuries from the crash.

11:45 a.m.: This article has been updated with details of prior incidents at the rail crossing.

This article was originally published at 11:15 a.m.