Gold Line Accident at the Del Mar Crossing

Metro Gold Line train hits car, 1 injured
The vehicle parked on the tracks is struck about 11:40 a.m. in Pasadena.

Los Angeles Times
By Victoria Kim
August 12, 2008

A Metro Gold Line train struck a vehicle parked on the tracks this morning in Pasadena, seriously injuring an Altadena man, authorities said.

The driver, a man around 60 years old, suffered cuts to his head and hands and complained of pain in his legs but was conscious, said Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for the Pasadena Fire Department.

The train was traveling southbound near the Del Mar station when it struck a four-door Geo Prizm, Derderian said. Crossings were down when the train struck the vehicle around 11:40 a.m., and it was not immediately clear why the man was on the tracks, she said.

Pasadena police were interviewing the estimated 40 people who were on the train. Surrounding streets were cordoned off as police and Metro authorities investigated the incident.

The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was transported to a nearby hospital.

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• Covered by KCBS
  

Blue Line Hits Car at Olive St

Compact Car Hits Blue Line Train Near Downtown L.A.
The car's driver suffers minor injuries but no train passengers are hurt. Blue Line service is delayed about 20 minutes.

Los Angeles Times
By Francisco Vara-Orta
June 24, 2008

One motorist suffered minor injuries after her car struck a Blue Line train near downtown this morning, causing minimal delays, officials said.

The incident occurred about 6:40 a.m. at 219 W. Washington Blvd., near Olive Street, when the driver turned in front of the train in her compact sedan, said d'Lisa Davies, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman.

There were no injuries to the passengers on the three-car train, which was en route to downtown from Long Beach. The collision took place near the Blue Line's Grand Avenue station. The motorist was transported to California Hospital Medical Center with minor injuries, Davies said.

The incident caused about a 20-minute delay but service had resumed by 7:15 a.m., Metro spokeswoman Gayle Anderson said.

The Blue Line train involved in the incident was cleared from the scene, and moved to an off-track area at 7th Street/Metro Center for further examination by mechanics. Passengers were allowed to board the next train, Anderson said.

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• Reported on LAFD-Alert
  

Blue Line Hits Pick-Up on Flower St

Covered on LAFD_Alert

Blue Line Kills Elder & Critically Injures Teenager on Same Day in Separate Accidents

L.B. Woman, 75, Dies After Her Car Struck by Blue Line Train

Long Beach Press-Telegram
Kelly Puente
April 7, 2008

LONG BEACH - A 75-year-old Long Beach woman was killed in a car accident on Monday after she allegedly made an illegal left-hand turn in her vehicle and collided with a Metro Blue Line train. The woman was driving southbound on Long Beach Boulevard at about 1:15 p.m. when she attempted to make an illegal left-hand turn onto Third Street, which is a one-way street, said Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

A train heading south on the boulevard plowed into the driver's side of her green Toyota sedan. Pratt said the woman suffered major internal injuries from the impact. Capt. Mike DuRee of the Long Beach Fire Department said the victim was unconscious and having trouble breathing when paramedics arrived. She was transported to St. Mary Medical Center, where she died a short time later. Her name was released Monday pending notification of family.

Witnesses said it looked as if the woman had not been paying attention. "I was standing on the corner (of Long Beach Boulevard and Third) talking on my phone when I heard the bang," said witness Andreas Hernandez. "You could feel the force of the impact through the air."

Authorities had closed off Long Beach Boulevard from Broadway to Fourth Street as they investigated the accident scene and passengers on the train were being let off. Signal Hill resident Belinda Maxin was on the train when she felt the the conductor slam on the brakes suddenly. Maxin, like many passengers, had to walk the rest of the way to the bus and train stations on First Street.

The incident was the second involving a Metro train on Monday. A young man apparently struck by a Metro Blue Line train south of downtown Los Angeles was taken to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said. Paramedics sent to Grand Avenue and Washington Boulevard about 8:30 a.m. found the man lying next to the train, which had stopped, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The man was treated for head, arm and pelvis injuries, Humphrey said.

kelly.puente@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1305. City News Service contributed to this report.

Also:

• LAist reports the young man critically injured a 19-year old Trade Tech student
  

Gold Line Hits Car at Avenue 57

1 Hurt When Metro Train Hits Vehicle

KCBS-TV
February 17, 2008

HIGHLAND PARK - A Metro train collided with a vehicle in Highland Park on Sunday night, injuring one man, according to a city fire official.

The crash took place around 8:50 p.m. and involved an MTA Gold Line train. It was reported near North Avenue 57 and Marmion Way, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

The driver of the vehicle sustained non life-threatening injuries and had to be transported to a hospital. However, no one riding the train was injured.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the crash.

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• Covered on LAFD Alert
  

Accident at Crossing with 4-Quad Gates Sends Two to Hospital

2 Injured In Metro Train/Auto Collision

KCBS-TV
January 17, 2008

SOUTH PASADENA, Calif. ― Two people were transported to hospitals complaining of pain after a car struck a Metrolink Gold Line train in South Pasadena, police said Thursday.

The accident occurred near the intersection of Sycamore Avenue and Arroyo Verde Street around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, when a 1991 Lexus sedan driven by 73-year-old Violet Youssef of Pasadena broadsided a train traveling to Union Station, a South Pasadena Police Department statement said.

The Lexus was traveling eastbound on Arroyo Verde when Youssef drove under a lowered gate crossing arm and struck the right side of the train's front passenger car, the statement said.

The Lexus sustained major damage to its front end and the train, which was traveling about 30 miles per hour, had moderate damage, police said. Youssef was taken to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center complaining of pain in her lower back but her 20-year-old passenger was not injured, the police statement said.

One of the 40 train passengers, a 33-year-old Pasadena man, complained of back pain and was taken to Alhambra Hospital, it said.

Blue Line Hits Taxi Injures Two at Hooper

2 Injured After Taxi Collides With Blue Line Train

KCBS-TV
January 11, 2008

LOS ANGELES ― Two people in a taxi were injured in a collision with a Metro Blue Line train Friday night, a fire department official said.

The train collided with a taxi at Washington Boulevard near Hooper Avenue around 9:30 p.m., said d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The victims were treated at the scene of the collision for what were described as minor injuries, Davies said.

No one aboard the train was injured.

Also:

• LAFD Alerts
  

Gold Line Catches Fire After Hitting Car that Ran Through Crossing Gates

6 Injured When Train, SUV Collide In Highland Park

KCBS-TV
September 21, 2007

LOS ANGELES ― Authorities report a sport utility vehicle smashed through a crossing gate and broadsided a commuter train during Los Angeles' morning rush hour, causing a fire and injuring six people.

The Metro Gold Line train was heading from downtown Los Angeles north to Pasadena when it was struck shortly after 7 a.m. in the Mount Washington area.

The train caught fire but it was quickly put out.

Four train passengers, the train's operator and the SUV's driver were hurt in the crash but the injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The commuter train line carries passengers between Los Angeles' Chinatown and suburbs east of the city.

This is the second injury accident involving the Gold Line in less than two weeks.

On September 11th, seven people were injured when a pickup truck ran a red light at a non-gated crossing in the Highland Park area northeast of downtown and struck a train during the morning rush hour. The truck was pinned between the train and a concrete pillar.

The Gold Line opened in 2003.

Also:

Six hurt in Gold Line collision

Pasadena Star
September 21, 2007

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A sport utility vehicle broadsided an MTA commuter train during the Friday morning rush hour, causing a fire and injuring six people in the second Gold Line crash in two weeks, authorities said.

The Metro Gold Line train was heading from downtown Los Angeles north to Pasadena when it was struck shortly after 7 a.m. in the Mount Washington area, said David Sotero, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"The SUV T-boned the train when the crossing gates were down," he said.

It was unclear whether the truck went around the lowered gate or smashed through it, he said. Televised reports showed the crossing gate broken off and lying on the ground. A witness told officials the SUV went around the crossing arm, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Ron Kegel said. About 20 people were on the train, he said.

The train was going about 20 mph when it was struck, Sotero said. Kegel said even at that speed, the operator didn't have time to avoid the vehicle. "The train is several tons. Just the inertia of going even 20 mph, it's going to take some distance before that train can stop," Kegel said.

The train caught fire. It was quickly extinguished but the train was significantly damaged, fire officials said. Four train passengers, the train's operator and the SUV's driver were hurt, but the injuries were not life-threatening, Sotero said.

The commuter train line carries passengers between Los Angeles and suburbs east of the city.

On Sept. 11, seven people were injured when a pickup truck ran a red light at a non-gated crossing in the Highland Park area northeast of downtown - two blocks away from Friday's accident - and struck a train during the morning rush hour. The truck was pinned between the train and a concrete pillar.

Blue Line Hits Car & Injures 4 in Downtown LA

4 Injured When Metro Blue Line Train, Car Collide

KCBS-TV
September 17, 2007

LOS ANGELES ― Four people suffered minor injuries Monday when a vehicle and a Metro Blue Line train collided near downtown Los Angeles, officials said.

Paramedics were sent to Flower Street and Washington Boulevard at 11:10 a.m., Diana Igawa of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

No one on the train was injured, Igawa said.

The circumstances of the collision were under investigation.

Gold Line Going 15 mph Injures 7, Crushes F-150 Like a Potato Chip Bag & Traps Motorist

7 hurt when Gold Line train hits truck at Highland Park crossing

Los Angeles Times
By Andrew Blankstein and Tami Abdollah
September 12, 2007

A Gold Line light-rail train carrying dozens of people hit a pickup during rush hour Tuesday morning in Highland Park, injuring seven people, authorities said.

The crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. at a crossing at Avenue 55 and Marmion Way.

The 35-year-old driver of the pickup truck was taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena with unspecified injuries, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Suzan Young said.

The driver was awake and alert but was considered in critical condition because of the potential for internal injuries, a Fire Department official said.

The truck was severely damaged.

Six people on the train – including the operator and a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy providing security on the train – were being treated for minor neck and back injuries, Young said.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials said the southbound train was carrying as many as 60 people.

A witness told investigators the pickup driver tried to beat the train, which was passing through a crossing that has lights and bells but no gates, MTA spokesman Jose Ubaldo said.

“Either he disregarded the signals – and there are plenty going along that Gold Line, so he had to disregard it – or he wasn’t paying attention,” said d’Lisa Davies, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

She said she did not know whether all the signals were working Tuesday morning.

Among the injured passengers was a 52-year-old woman who jumped off the train after the crash and broke one of her legs.

MTA officials said trains usually travel 15 mph to 20 mph through the area, a narrow stretch of track that is blocks from the Highland Park station.

The 14-mile Gold Line, which opened in 2003, connects Pasadena and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

About 20,000 people travel the route daily. Each car holds up to 144 passengers and costs $2.36 million.

Shuttle buses took passengers to stations south and north of the accident.

Heavy equipment was brought in to move the train.

andrew.blankstein@latimes.com
tami.abdollah@latimes.com

Also:

7 Injured When Gold Line Train, Truck Collide

KCBS-TV
September 11, 2007

LOS ANGELES ― Seven people were injured today, one of them critically, when a Metro Gold Line train collided with a pickup truck in the Highland Park area, authorities said.

The train was southbound when it collided with the pickup at 7:54 a.m. in the 100 block of North Avenue 55, said Metro's Jose Ubaldo. According to a witness, the truck may have run a red light, he said.

Firefighters freed the driver of the pickup, and paramedics took him to a hospital in critical condition, said d'Lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A half-dozen people on the train -- four passengers, the train's operator and a sheriff's deputy -- complained of neck and back pain, Ubaldo said.

Rail service was interrupted until 1:30 p.m., he said.


Also:

• LAFD Blog
  
• LAFD_Alert
  
• Pictures of the accident in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune
  

Blue Line Hits Truck and Injures 6 in Downtown LA

6 Injured When Truck, Blue Line Train Collide

KCBS-TV
August 27, 2007

LOS ANGELES ― Six people were injured when a truck and a Metro Blue Line train collided south of downtown late Monday, affecting rail travel between Los Angeles and Long Beach, authorities said.

The accident took place at 5:26 p.m. at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Maple Avenue, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Helen Gilstrap.

At least three people were taken to medical centers, he said, but an MTA official described their injuries as minor.

Rail travel between Los Angeles and Long Beach was affected by the collision, Gilstrap said. A bus bridge will be established between the Grand Avenue and San Pedro Street stations, she said.

Gilstrap said it was unclear how long the service would be interrupted.

Blue Line Hits Pick-Up at 12th/Flower

Motorist Injured In Collision With Metro Train

KCBS-TV
July 18, 2007

LOS ANGELES ― A motorist was slightly injured Wednesday in a collision between a pickup truck and a Metro Blue Line train in downtown Los Angeles, authorities said.

The accident occurred shortly before 6 a.m. at Flower and 12th streets, said Los Angeles police Officer Sara Faden.

No one was hurt on the train, which stopped at the location. The driver of the pickup was taken to a hospital for treat

Blue Line Injures Elderly Motorist at Venice

Man, 71, Injured When Car, Blue Line Train Collide

KCBS-TV
June 14, 2007

LOS ANGELES ― A Metro Blue Line train and a vehicle collided Thursday near downtown Los Angeles, slightly injuring the 71-year-old man driving the vehicle, according to a fire official.

The collision was reported at 8:38 a.m. near Venice Boulevard and South Flower Street, according to Ron Myers of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The driver of the vehicle was treated at the scene for minor arm pains, Myers said.

Blue Line Totals SUV in Long Beach

Blue Line collides with SUV

Long Beach Press-Telegram
By Tomio Geron
April 13, 2007

An SUV traveling southbound on Long Beach Boulevard made a wrong-way turn onto Seventh Street in front of a Metro train, which totaled the SUV and resulted in severe damage to the front of the train. A passenger in the SUV was treated at the scene.

The accident occurred when the driver of a silver Ford Expedition traveling southbound on Long Beach Boulevard made a wrong turn heading east onto westbound Seventh Street.

The southbound train, with about 75 passengers aboard, struck the SUV and dragged it a short distance through the intersection before stopping.

The driver of the SUV was uninjured, but was taken to a hospital as a precaution, said Will Nash, a Long Beach Fire Department spokesman.

A passenger in the vehicle was treated and released at the scene.

There were no injuries reported among the train riders, said Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo.

Long Beach Boulevard was closed to traffic for several hours between Sixth and Eighth streets while emergency crews responded to the scene and removed the SUV, which was stuck to the front of the train.

The Blue Line was diverted around the damaged train and continued to operate in both directions. Ubaldo said the damaged train would be taken to a yard to be inspected or repaired. Nash said he did not know why the driver tried to make the illegal turn.

The SUV had Pennsylvania license plates, Nash said.

Trenton Barnett, 31, of Long Beach, was eating breakfast in a McDonald's restaurant that is directly in front of where the accident occurred.

"I heard screaming, then I saw the train was dragging the truck to a complete stop," Barnett said.

Blue Line Hits Fire Truck at Central

11 taken to hospitals after Blue Line train hits firetruck
About 250 rush-hour commuters were aboard when accident occurred at Washington and Central, a 'notorious bad intersection'

Los Angeles Times
By Jean Guccione
December 23, 2006

Los Angeles, CA - Ten passengers and a firefighter were taken to hospitals for minor injuries Friday evening when a Blue Line commuter train struck a firetruck on an emergency call near downtown Los Angeles, authorities said.

The ladder truck and its crew were crossing Washington Boulevard at Central Avenue about 5 p.m. when the accident occurred, police and fire officials said.

"It looks like a big oops," said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Jeff Tepich, who was on the scene. "If [the train] is pulling a lot of weight even at a slow speed it's hard to stop."

The six-car train, which was carrying passengers from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach, struck the center of the ladder truck and derailed, blocking both tracks. The truck was on its way to a small fire; a second engine was sent in its place.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the train operator had a green light when she proceeded into the intersection and did not see or hear the firetruck, which had its lights and sirens on.

"She said she did not hear the firetruck, but when she saw it in the intersection she used the emergency brake," spokesman Dave Sotero said.

"It is a notorious bad intersection," Assistant Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas said.

In response to several fatal collisions along the Blue Line route, flashing yellow signs have been added to warn motorists turning right on Washington to watch for the crossing train. No such warnings have been installed on Central.

The collision is under investigation, but Tepich said the train has the right of way, especially when the light is red.

"Our policy is to come to a complete stop at all red lights and stop signs before entering an intersection," Terrazas said.

The train, which was traveling in an area with a speed limit of 35 mph, was carrying about 250 rush-hour commuters, he said. City Fire Department personnel said they assessed about 25 passengers for mostly minor injuries at the scene.

The injured firefighter was working as the apparatus operator, steering the long truck from the rear. After the crash, he complained of back and neck pain, Terrazas said.

The tracks were closed in both directions for more than three hours while officials investigated the crash and removed debris.

The firetruck was towed, and the train, with a crushed front windshield, was pushed back onto the tracks.

Dozens of commuters walked down Central Avenue in the dark between the San Pedro and Washington stations, where transit service began and ended. Additional buses were added to bridge the service interruption, Sotero said.

Under MTA policy, the driver was required to be tested for possible drug and alcohol use.



L.A. Firetruck Collides With Train, Slightly Injuring at Least 10

Associated Press
December 22, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- A collision between a Blue Line train and a Los Angeles Fire Department ladder truck left a firefighter and several train riders with minor injuries Saturday.

It was unclear if the damage from Friday's 5:04 p.m. accident at Central Avenue and Washington Boulevard put the train out of commission, but it was was knocked off its tracks.

The train hit the ladder truck broadside, close to coupling joint where the tractors attaches to the rest of the rig.

Fire officials did not say where the truck was going, or if the lights and siren were activated.

Dave Sotero of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the Blue Line, said the train's operator had a green signal to proceed through the intersection and did not hear a siren. She did see its emergency lights, he said.

Sotero said the maximum speed of the Blue Line trains in that area is 35 mph. The cause of the collision was still under investigation, he said.

Ten people on the downtown-to-Long-Beach commuter train complained of injuries and were taken to hospitals to be checked out for mostly minor injuries, officials said. One person was reported to have been seriously injured. The extent of injuries to the firefighter were not disclosed.

Damage estimates for the train and truck were unavailable.

Also:

• Footage from KCBS
• Covered on LAFD Blog
  
• Pictures on LAFD Flickr page

Blue Line Hits Vehicle at 18th & Flower

Metro Rail Train, Vehicle Collide Downtown

KCBS-TV
December 18, 2006

LOS ANGELES ― No one was injured Sunday night when a Metro Rail train and a vehicle collided in downtown Los Angeles, police said.

The accident happened about 8:45 p.m. on South Flower Street at West 18th Street, said LAPD Officer Marta Garcia of Media Relations.

The train runs north and south along Flower, Garcia said.

No one was injured, she said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Blue Line Kills 17 and 27 Year Old and Leaves 7 Year Old in Critical Condition

2 Killed, 2 Injured in Car Hit by Train

Los Angeles Times
By Nancy Cleeland
August 21, 2006

A man and his sister were killed and his 7-year-old son was critically injured Sunday morning when the man turned their car in front of a Blue Line train near downtown Los Angeles and the vehicle was dragged half a block along the tracks, police said.

The siblings’ grandmother, 68, who was in the back seat, was being treated at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for chest pains, said Det. Josephine Mapson of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The driver was identified as Cesar Herrera, 27, of Los Angeles. His sister, Maria A. Herrera, was 17. Police did not identify the survivors.

Six of the 92 passengers on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority train were treated for minor injuries and released, Mapson said.

Both the car and the train, which runs at street level along the center of Washington Boulevard, were traveling east. The train’s operator told police that he saw a maroon Mazda stopped in the left-turn lane ahead of him at the intersection of Maple Avenue. Just as the train was about to pass, the traffic light turned green for through traffic but the left-turn arrow remained red.

Nevertheless, the Mazda driver turned left in front of the train, and the car was struck and pushed 162 feet east.

Mapson said the driver may have misread the traffic signal, which also has a box with flashing lights indicating an approaching train.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel cut away the roof of the smashed car to remove the boy and his great-grandmother.

“I’ve been here 4 1/2 years and I’ve lost count of the number of accidents I’ve seen with this train,” said fire Battalion Chief Ray Gomez.


2 die when car collides with Blue Line train

Daily Breeze
August 21, 2006

Two people were killed and two other people, including a 7-year- old boy, were critically injured Sunday when the vehicle they were in collided with a Blue Line train in downtown Los Angeles, a fire official said.

The crash was reported at Maple Avenue and Washington Boulevard shortly after 9 a.m., said Brian Ballton of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A 25-year-old man, who was driving, and his 17-year-old sister, were pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

A 55-year-old woman and the 7-year-old boy were taken to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in critical condition, he said.

Witnesses told KABC Channel 7 it appeared the man tried to make a left turn in front of the train.

About 50 people were on the train, and six were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, Ballton said.

According to KCBS Channel 2, it's the third crash involving an MTA Blue Line train in eight days.

On Aug. 13, a Blue Line train collided with a car at Flower Street and Pico Boulevard downtown, injuring the driver of a Honda, his passenger and several rail passengers.

Two days ago, a woman suffered minor injuries when she tried to make a turn in front of a Blue Line train near Flower Street and Venice Boulevard and was struck.


Two Dead, Eight Injured After Car Crashes Into MTA Train

KABC-TV
August 20, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Two people were killed and two others, including a 7- year-old boy, were critically injured Sunday when the vehicle they were in crashed into an MTA Blue Line train, a fire official said.

Of the 50 people on the train which was hit near downtown Los Angeles, six were transported to area hospitals with minor injuries, said Los Angeles City fire spokesperson Brian Ballton.

Fire personnel were dispatched to the scene of the crash in the area of Maple Avenue and Washington Boulevard at 9:03 a.m., Ballton said.

The 40-year-old male driver and the front seat passenger, a 40-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene. The other occupants, a 55- year-old woman and a 7-year-old boy, were transported to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center in critical condition.

A description of the vehicle involved in the crash was not immediately available, Ballton said.


Also:

• Post on the LAFD Blog mentions the 7-year old boy's name is Anthony
• Pictures from the accident are on the LAFD Flickr page
  

Blue Line Injures Motorist at Venice

Car, Blue Line Train Results In Minor Injuries

KCBS-TV
August 19, 2006

LOS ANGELES ― A woman was injured Friday after she turned her car into the path of a Blue Line train, a Los Angeles Fire Department official said.

The collision happened near Flower Street and Venice Boulevard at 6:20 p.m., department spokesman Brian Ballton said. Three ambulances were sent to the scene, but no one was taken to a hospital.

"Both occupants of the car were wearing seat belts," Ballton said. "If they hadn't been, it's a high probability they would have been severely hurt."

The only person injured from the accident was the driver of the car, and she was treated at the scene and released, he said.

If someone was in the back seat of the car, where the train hit, there would have been critical injuries, Ballton said.

There were 80 passengers on the train.

Blue Line Injures 7 and Demolishes Car at Pico

7 Injured After Blue Line Train, Car Collide

KCBS-TV
August 13, 2006

LOS ANGELES ― Seven people were injured Saturday when a Metro Blue Line train collided with a car in downtown Los Angeles.

The accident, which happened at 8:50 p.m. at Pico Boulevard and Flower Street, occurred when a black Honda attempted to make a left turn across train tracks into a parking lot. The Metro Blue Line, which was on its way to Long Beach, struck the car at full speed, Los Angeles police Sgt. Marianus vonKorff said.

The car was demolished, but the driver and passenger - both men in their 40s - escaped with only minor injuries and were taken to California Hospital Medical Center, Los Angeles City fire Capt. Brian Ballton said.

The driver may have broken his arm, vonKorff said.

At least five passengers were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries, Ballton said.

The train was heading from Union Station to Long Beach.

Blue Line Crushes Car Leaves Driver in Critical Condition

Accident at Washington/San Pedro.

Train was going 30 mph and pushed car 150 feet.

Footage from KCBS-TV