No Injuries After Metrolink Train Collides With RV In Santa Fe Springs, Sparks Fire

SANTA FE SPRINGS (CBSLA) – No one was seriously hurt after a Metrolink train bound for downtown Los Angeles collided with an abandoned RV in Santa Fe Springs Friday morning, sparking a fire and leaving a massive debris field.

The collision involving the northbound Metrolink train No. 681 on the Orange County Line occurred at 5:40 a.m. in the area of Rosecrans and Marquardt Avenues.

The train pushed the RV about 600 feet before finally stalling. The impact sparked a massive fire. Cell phone video from the scene showed the conductor scrambling to evacuate the approximately 150 passengers.

"Felt a little bit of a break action as we approached the intersection," passenger Mike Lazano told CBS2. "And then I felt the impact and it was pretty severe. I was sitting in the front car that made impact with the vehicle. I felt it pretty good and it buffeted us around. It kind of felt like we were going to derail for a second, so that was pretty scary."

The blaze was extinguished by L.A. County Fire crews. A freight train on an adjacent track was able to stop before hitting the RV. However, it ran over some debris, which also sparked a second fire.

There were no serious injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Four people were treated at the scene after complaining of pain, but no one was transported to a hospital.

Several witnesses saw someone running from the RV prior to the collision.

The RV is registered to a woman who said she gave it to her ex-husband years ago, but she knows the woman who was driving. She said the woman was hitting the gas as she crossed the tracks, but the RV stalled.

"She was there, and then all of the sudden we turned around and she was gone," the woman said.

Passengers, meanwhile, were taken to a nearby parking lot where they were being picked up by L.A. Metro and O.C. Transit Authority buses.

Metrolink's O.C. Line runs between Union Station in downtown L.A. and Oceanside in northern San Diego County.

The O.C. Line was shut down in the area all day Friday between Norwalk and Buena Park while crews cleared the debris. Riders would instead have to be shuttled by Metro and OCTA buses. Riders should check Metrolink's Twitter page for the latest updates.