2 dead, 3 injured after train collides with vehicle in South Los Angeles
Two people are dead and three others injured after a train collided with a vehicle in South Los Angeles on Monday.
The crash occurred just at around 6:15 p.m. on the Metro A (Blue) Line tracks near E. 24th Street and Long Beach Avenue in the Central-Alameda neighborhood.
Firefighters responding to the scene found a vehicle that had sustained heavy damage in the crash, trapping some of the occupants inside.
According to Los Angeles Fire Department Public Information Officer Nicholas Prange, two people were killed in the collision.
Firefighters said that the three other patients, all of whom were hospitalized, were able to get out of the vehicle under their own power. Two of those victims are said to be in moderate condition while another is said to be in fair condition.
After some time, coworkers of the victims arrived to the scene and told KCAL-News reporters that the five victims, all men, had just gotten off of work at around 6 p.m. at a nearby soap manufacturing company.
On Tuesday, the deceased victims were identified as 46-year-old Marvin Padilla and 40-year-old Jose Hernandez.
No passengers onboard the train suffered serious injury during the crash, though one was treated at the scene for reports of back pain.
"Approximately 125 passengers have now exited the train, without medical complaint," LAFD said in a statement. "Two train operators have also disembarked. One is being evaluated as a precaution."
Train service is expected to be impacted for an unspecified amount of time. While the tracks remained closed, Metro provided shuttle buses to transport passengers to their intended stops.
A LINE (BLUE): buses replace trains between Washington and Vernon stations due to a train-car incident. The bus shuttles will likely continue well into the night. pic.twitter.com/iDo7jBstFQ
— LA Metro Rider Alerts (@metrolaalerts) February 21, 2023
"Everybody on the train was talking, we all thought maybe something was in the road — a little shopping cart or something metal," said Guillermo Ochoa, the passenger who was examined after reports of back pain. "That's what we thought happened. We all realized after that it was a car."
Earlier Monday, just one stop north of where the impact occurred, near the 1100 block of E. Washington Boulevard, one person was hospitalized in moderate condition after being struck in the leg by a train. Service was also stopped due to the incident.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.