A 58-year-old woman died early today after a Union Pacific freight train struck a white Toyota Prius that was stopped on the railroad tracks along State Route 65, just north of Dairy Road near Wheatland, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Officers were dispatched at about 2:13 a.m. and arrived to find the Prius had been hit and sent rolling on the tracks, CBS Sacramento reported. Authorities said the woman had been outside her vehicle when the collision happened. She later died of her injuries. The train came to a stop after the impact while emergency crews and investigators worked the scene.
What Officials Reported
The CHP said the victim, identified only as a 58-year-old woman, will not be publicly named until her family is notified, according to CBS Sacramento. The crash shut down the area around the tracks as officers documented evidence and coordinated with railroad personnel.
Union Pacific Crew's Account
A Union Pacific spokesperson told FOX40 that crew members saw the woman outside the Prius and described her as "doing something frantic" shortly before the train struck the vehicle. After the impact, the freight train was brought to a stop, and railroad employees assisted first responders at the scene.
Investigation Remains Underway
Authorities have not yet said why the Prius was stopped on the tracks. The CHP and local officials say the cause of the crash remains under active investigation. Railroad personnel and officers continued working at the site Tuesday, processing the area and completing preliminary reports, according to CBS Sacramento.
