California Train Derails Crumpling Cars And Cannibalizing Crossing

The last two cars of a train decided to take a detour in Sonora, California, as they derailed while crossing Hospital Road. They left behind some vehicle casualties, a crumpled crossing cantilever, and a bit of messed-up asphalt, but luckily, no humans were harmed in this railway adventure.

The derailment happened at around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, January 19, just outside the Sonora post office. Although the train was only moving at around 5 to 10 mph (8 to 16 km/h) at the time of the incident, it still managed to do quite a lot of damage, destroying at least two post office workers’ vehicles.

“A friend of mine came running in and he said, ‘Reggie, your truck’s destroyed. A train just derailed.’ I thought he was joking,” Reggie Van Sleet, who was inside the post office at the time of the incident, told The Union Democrat. “It was chaos out here. My truck, the red one, was sitting right up in front of the intersection.”

Caution: Offensive language is present in the video

Sleet’s red Chevrolet Avalanche was dragged more than 50 feet in the incident. Meanwhile, another worker, Anthony Hernandez, said his 2020 Jeep Wrangler was also destroyed in the incident, and dragged 20 to 30 feet from where he parked it.

Read: Thieves Crush New Chevy And GMC Trucks After Bungled Mexican Train Heist

Perhaps most impressively, a video of the incident shows that the train also took down the structure holding up warning lights and a crossing cantilever like they were twigs. Footage of the aftermath also shows that the road’s surface was torn up in the incident.

Trains are a regular feature in Sonora, especially during the winter when locals crave more propane. Interestingly, the derailed cars were usually tasked with hauling this fuel, although they were empty when the mishap occurred.

The derailment caused Hospital Road to be closed to traffic for most of the rest of the day. Although the cause of the incident is under investigation, Ken Beard, the CEO of the Sierra Northern Railway, which operates the train that derailed, said that the soft ground caused by two wet winters has been leading to more issues for the company.

The Sierra Northern Railway previously experienced a minor derailment in nearby Jamestown, California, in March 2023. The company says it is currently upgrading its tracks in an effort to keep the rail lines safe.

Screenshot Andrew Echeverria/KCRA 3