Amtrak train hits abandoned vehicle in Ventura; woman arrested on suspicion of drunk driving
A woman who police say abandoned her car on railroad tracks in Ventura minutes before the vehicle was struck by a slow-moving Amtrak train has been booked on suspicion of drunk driving, according to police.
Arcelia Delgadillo had unintentionally driven onto the railroad tracks at Garden Street and Harbor Boulevard, where the vehicle became stuck, according to Ventura Police Cmdr. Tom Higgins. The 27-year-old Ventura resident and her passenger then exited the vehicle at about 7:38 p.m. and stood nearby.
About three minutes later, the train’s conductor spotted the vehicle on the tracks and tried to stop. But the train, which was traveling south at 15 to 20 mph, could not stop and plowed into the vehicle.
“When the train struck the vehicle, it possibly caused an electrical shortage which electrified the vehicle and railroad tracks,” Higgins said in a statement. “Due to the rain, this caused an extreme hazard to emergency personnel.”
The vehicle was wedged under the front of the train, which had 60 passengers on board. The passengers were not injured.
The train was delayed for two hours as crews worked to dislodge the vehicle and remove it from the tracks.
Police later arrested Delgadillo and booked her into a Ventura County jail, Higgins said.
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