Freight Train Gives Driver a Fright
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A freight train struck the front of a pickup truck in Placentia on Monday, causing some street traffic tie-ups but no injuries, police said.
Jose Mendoza of Fontana, the driver of the Ford Ranger, apparently went under railroad crossing gates at Lakeview and Orangethorpe avenues as they were closing about 10:30 a.m., said Sgt. Kim Redifer of the Placentia Police Department.
When Mendoza saw that a train was coming, he tried to back up, but the crossing gates prevented him from doing so, authorities said. The vehicle then stalled on the tracks.
The four-engine train struck the front of the truck, breaking its right headlight and denting its grille. Neither Mendoza nor his passenger, Francisco Silva, was injured in the incident, and the train was not damaged, police said.
The northbound train stopped and street traffic was diverted for about 50 minutes while the tracks were cleared.
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