SUMNER, Wash. — A dramatic collision occurred in Sumner when an SUV was struck by an Amtrak train after the driver bypassed the crossing arm.
The incident, captured on security video, showed two SUVs stopped at the train crossing with lights flashing and arms down.
As the train horns blared, the driver of the front SUV pulled around the crossing arm and into the path of the oncoming train, resulting in the vehicle being split in two.
“We didn’t think he was alive, but then he kind of breathed a little bit and so that changed everything,” said a witness who rushed to help the driver.
Employees from an auto dealership across the street immediately rushed to assist the driver, a man in his 20s, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
An off-duty paramedic was on the scene and began performing life-saving measures, including tying off the driver’s legs to stop severe bleeding.
Michelle Smith, who called 911, spoke with the train engineer, who expressed distress over the incident despite knowing it wasn’t his fault.
The quick actions of bystanders and an off-duty paramedic were crucial in providing aid to the driver, whose condition remains uncertain.
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