Two victims are unharmed after a train crashed into their car Aug. 24 in La Plata.
The vehicle was traveling east on Highway 146, two miles west of La Plata, when the car became stuck on the railroad tracks after lodging its wheel in a ditch in the road. The driver, a 36-year-old resident of Clarence, Missouri, and the passenger, 55, exited the vehicle before impact.
A passerby attempted to help push the car off the tracks, but after the three heard the train whistle they called Macon County law enforcement for assistance.
The engineer of the eastbound Burlington BNSF train attempted to set the emergency brakes, but the train could not stop in time. The train knocked the car off the tracks, where it burst into flames. The train sustained minor damage to its cow catcher, the curved front part of the engine.
Local Missouri State Highway Patrol officers arrived at the scene to take a report and ensure no one was harmed.
Sgt. R.L. Seiner, one of the first officers at the crash, says the victims followed the proper safety procedures.
“If your car ever becomes disabled, the best thing to do is exit the vehicle quickly and call your local law enforcement agency,” Seiner says.