2 Killed In VTA Train-Car Collision in San Jose
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Two people were killed Sunday when the car they were in collided with a northbound Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail train in San Jose.
Shortly after 1 p.m., a train on the Mountain View-Winchester light rail route collided with a car at Lincoln and Auzerais avenues, transit officials said.
The force of the crash ripped the car apart, killing the two occupants of the vehicle and derailing the train, forcing it into a pole.
"I felt the shaking," said Ryan Peterson. "I heard the rumbling, and then you hear a crash."
Eyewitnesses said it looked like the car tried to beat the train to a crossing. The crossing lights were flashing.
"It sounded like a car crash, but I just kind of assumed it was two cars," Mitch Ravizza said. "You know it's a busy street out here on Lincoln."
"But when we realized it was the lightrail, we started to think about everybody's safety in the car alone and then the people on the lightrail as well."
According to the VTA, there were 20 passengers on the train. They escaped injury, but the train operator was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
"It's a pretty scary situation," Ravizza said. "It's terrible. I feel for these people's families, their loved ones, and their friends."
A bus bridge was put in place between the Convention Center and Fruitdale stations, running on the normal Sunday service at every 30 minutes, transit officials said.