Union Pacific Train Crashes into Car on Houston’s South Side (VIDEO)

March 8th, 2013 |

HOUSTON, Texas — A Union Pacific freight train slammed into a passenger car on Tuesday March 5 on Houston’s south side, sending the driver of the vehicle to the hospital.

A Union Pacific train crashed with a passenger vehicle in Houston, TX on March 5, 2013.

The accident occurred just before 5pm Tuesday near Almeda and Gumas where the car was T-boned by the train, and then pushed between 75 and 100 yards down the track.

Map showing location of a Union Pacific train crash with a passenger vehicle at the Alameda Rd and Gumas St rail crossing in Houston, TX on March 5, 2013.

ABC 13 Eyewitness news reported that the driver of the vehicle was at an auto salvage yard just before the accident and according to witnesses, when he saw the train coming, he jumped in his car and sped towards it.

There were two people in the car at the time of the accident. The driver was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital. We don’t know his condition at this point. The passenger was apparently uninjured.

According to Union Pacific, the train engineer sounded the train whistle, but the driver wasn’t able to get out of the way in time. They also say the crossing had a stop sign and railroad markings, so the driver was supposed to stop.

The incident remains under investigation at this time.

Blog post by Gordon, Elias & Seely, a FELA lawyer and Houston railroad injury lawyer who publishes train accidents and FELA legal news from across the United States.