Dozens Injured in Amtrak Passenger Train Crash With Semi Truck in Brentwood, CA

October 6th, 2011 |

BRENTWOOD, CA – Dozens of passengers were injured, including two railroad workers, when an Amtrak train collided with a tractor-trailer at a rural crossing in Brentwood, CA on September 30, 2011.

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Rescue workers at the scene of an Amtrak crash with a semi truck at a rural railroad crossing in Brentwood, CA on September 30, 2011. Dozens of passengers were injured in the incident.

Brentwood is located in Contra Costa County, California in the west-central part of the state about 55 miles northeast of San Francisco, 47 miles northeast of Oakland, 26 miles southwest of Concord and about 27 miles southwest of Stockton.

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The southbound Amtrak train was the number 718, which was on its way to Bakersfield after departing from Oakland. It was carrying 204 passengers at the time. The collision occurred around 7:23 p.m. when a tractor-trailer truck hauling corn attempted to cross the tracks.

The accident occurred at a rural crossing in Brentwood where a farm access road connects to Orwood Rd. near the corner of Bixler and Orwood Roads. The tracks cross the rural road about 300 feet north of Orwood Rd.

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Map showing location of Amtrak crash with tractor-trailer at a railroad crossing near the corner of Orwood and Bixler Roads in Brentwood, CA on September 30, 2011. The crossing is basically a farm road with no crossing arms or warning signals.

The railroad crossing where the accident occurred is basically a farm road with no crossing arms or signals. There is only a stop sign. The trucker was supposed to stop and look both ways before crossing the tracks. Officials do not know why the driver crossed the tracks into the path of the oncoming train.

There was a passenger in the truck at the time of the accident. Neither the truck driver or the passenger were injured. Also, the train did not derail in the mishap.

It was a different story for the train occupants, though. There were 39 passengers taken to the hospital and two railroad workers. Fortunately, the passengers’ injuries were no life threatening. There are no details on the extent of the injuries to the two railroad workers.

Over 100 emergency workers were called to the scene. The injured passengers and railroad workers were transported to three different hospitals for treatment.

The section of track where the crash occurred is owned by BNSF. The railroad company is conducting a joint investigation into the mishap together with Amtrak and the Office of the Contra Costa County Sheriff. Investigators are currently in the process of trying to determine the cause of this accident.

FELA Lawyer News Blog is a FELA, train accident and personal injury blog that publishes up to date train accidents and FELA legal news from across the United States. The Federal Employers ‘Liability Act, (FELA) allows injured railroad workers to recover compensation based on the negligence of the railroad company, in lieu of workers’ compensation. FELA defines negligence as the railroad company’s failure to use reasonable care.