Passenger killed, driver injured in train, pickup crash
RICHVALE >> A pickup collided with a train at a railroad crossing Sunday evening, killing the passenger and sending the driver to a local hospital with major injuries.
According to the California Highway Patrol, David Hansen, 84, of San Jose, was driving a 2010 Toyota Tundra westbound on Highway 162 at 7:05 p.m. when it approached a railroad crossing west of Riceton Highway. The pick-up also carried one passenger, an 80-yearold San Jose woman.
A Union Pacific train, meanwhile, was traveling south toward Highway 162 at approximately 30 miles per hour. For reasons unknown, Hansen did not stop his vehicle at the railroad crossing, the CHP said.
When the front of the train crossed Highway 162, investigating officers determined the Toyota Tundra struck the railroad warning arm before hitting the front train car, causing the pickup to rotate and come to a stop facing east.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene to find the passenger deceased. The passenger’s identity is currently being withheld pending next of kin. Hansen was taken to Enloe Medical Center via Enloe Flight Care with major injuries.
Cal Fire-Butte County and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office responded to the wreck, advising people to avoid the area while emergency personnel cleared the scene. The highway was closed for several hours.
According to the CHP, all railroad equipment “appeared to be functioning” and the occupants of the vehicle were wearing seatbelts.