Injured Released From Hospital After Amtrak Crash
BRENTWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- The 37 passengers and two crew members who suffered "minor to moderate" injuries when an Amtrak passenger train collided with a truck in Northern California have been released from hospitals, an Amtrak spokeswoman said Saturday.
Vernae Graham said they were taken to three Contra Costa County hospitals Friday night with what she described as bumps and bruises. All 39 were treated and released.
The train was carrying 191 passengers from Oakland to Bakersfield when it collided with a truck around 7:15 p.m. at a rural crossing east of Brentwood, according to Graham. The driver of the truck and a passenger inside were reportedly not hurt.
Graham did not know how fast the train was going, but she said the maximum speed limit in the area was 79 miles per hour.
"When it hit, you felt a jerk and then you just started looking around to see if everyone was OK," passenger Halim Gentry told the Contra Costa Times. "I wanted to get off the train at first, but then they told us to stay on."
There were no lights or gates at the crossing, according to Graham. She said the train resumed the trip to Bakersfield with 144 passengers aboard around 1:10 a.m.
Graham said local agencies may be investigating the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board will not be conducting a probe, she said.
California Highway Patrol and Contra Costa County Sheriff's officials said they were not aware of any investigations by their respective agencies.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
