Three people were hospitalized after a northbound Amtrak commuter train struck a delivery truck Thursday in San Diego’s Sorrento Valley area, according to police and fire officials.
Officials received a call just after 3 p.m. reporting that a semi-truck had been struck by an Amtrak Surfliner train near Sorrento Valley Boulevard and Sorrento Valley Road, according to Rick Ballard, Battalion Chief with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
The delivery truck had been traveling eastbound on Sorrento Valley Boulevard. The truck was hit so hard, it flipped and turned into the westbound lane, hitting a sedan in the roadway.
Both the truck driver and sedan driver sustained minor injuries. The train’s engineer also suffered minor injuries. All three victims were transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital for treatment.
None of the victims have been identified by name, but officials say the driver of the sedan is a member of the FBI.
No passengers aboard the Amtrak Surfliner were injured in the crash. Officials said they planned to transfer the passengers to another train, according to Ballard.
The intersection and tracks were closed for about 3 hours following the collision. By 6 p.m., the intersection had reopened to commuters.
Nearby residents, including Laina Sousa, told NBC 7 San Diego that the Sorrento Valley intersection near the train tracks has always been problematic.
“This intersection is always bad,” said Sousa. “I used to come through here a lot and there were always people sitting on the train tracks, so I’m not surprised that something happened.”
Sousa said she was in the area waiting on her friend, who was taking the COASTER from downtown San Diego. As of 6 p.m., the transit district said that for the time being, trains were running about 20 minutes behind.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is now handling the investigation. Officials have yet to determine why the delivery truck wound up on the train tracks in the first place.
Editor's Note: Initially, officials said the train involved in this collision was a COASTER. Officials from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department have now confirmed the train is an Amtrak, not a COASTER as previously reported.
