SunRail train crashes into car on South Orange Avenue

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A SunRail train crashed into a car that was on the tracks Thursday night, Florida Department of Transportation officials said.

They said the train was heading south and crashed into the car between the Orlando Health and Sand Lake Road stations on South Orange Avenue.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Jean Marseille, 73, was driving his Honda Civic east on Fairlane Avenue and then tried to turn around on the tracks but got stuck.

Troopers said a good Samaritan, Nelson Perez, 30, heard the train coming and ran to help Marseille get out of the vehicle before the train hit.

No one was injured and the train was running again by 7:30 p.m.

Troopers said 38 passengers were on board.

Passenger Jill Chapkis was on the train with her two children and she said she felt the impact.

“It was a pretty shaky ‘boom’ and then they announced that we had just hit a car,” she said. “The kids were scared.”

The mangled civic was towed away shortly after the crash.

Marseille was ticketed for stopping on the tracks.

Video from a witness showed the moment the train crashed into the vehicle.

The crash caused several delays for riders.

Cox Media Group