Freight train crushes car in Puyallup, police say, blocking rail crossings for hours
A freight train collided with an unoccupied car Friday night in Puyallup, according to police, leaving a number of crossings near downtown blocked for hours while crews cleared the tracks.
No one was injured. The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. near the Third Street Southeast rail crossing, according to the Puyallup Police Department.
A driver was reportedly following her GPS when she turned onto the tracks and got stuck, Capt. Kevin Gill said Saturday. The occupants got out and called 911. Police alerted officials with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway before the collision, Gill said. The train slowed before striking the vehicle, but it couldn’t come to a stop.
Crossings were blocked at 12th and Seventh streets Northwest as well as Fifth and Third streets Northeast, according to police. The car was removed from the tracks by about 11 p.m.
“The vast majority of the delay was Burlington Northern had to send out inspectors to make sure the tracks and the engine were safe to operate,” Gill said.
All crossings were open by midnight, according to police, and the train moved along.
