Four people were injured and thousands of gallons of diesel fuel spilled after an Amtrak train struck a disabled semi-truck obstructing the track near Lompoc on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
Amtrak Train 14 was traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle when it ran into the truck at 4:12 p.m. just north of the Lompac-Surf station in Santa Barbara County, according to an Amtrak spokesperson. There were 218 passengers and crew members on board.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to the crash near Highway 1 and Brown Road and transported four people to Marian Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to department spokesperson Scott Safechuck. The truck driver sustained major injuries, and three passengers sustained minor injuries, he said.
The semi-truck was knocked sideways off the track and spilled about 3,600 gallons of diesel fuel, Safechuck said.
The train remained upright on the track and passengers were instructed to remain inside until buses arrived to take them to their destination, he said.
Highway 1 is currently closed between Main Street and Brown Road. Amtrak police are cooperating with local law enforcement to investigate the incident.
A truck driver was killed in a similar incident in June when a semi-truck collided with a Metrolink train near Moorpark. In July, a woman lost her arm after a bike she was holding was hit by a train as she was crossing railroad tracks in Ventura.
