Woman Killed In Car/Train Accident

WTSP CBS Channel 10 Tampa Bay News reported recently that Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a deadly accident that involved a car and a train on Saturday, November 7 in Lakeland, FL.

The incident occurred Saturday evening in a part of unincorporated Lakeland in Polk County, just up I-4 from the Tampa Bay area. According to the officials with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, a 44-year-old woman was driving a 2004 Toyota Corolla south on Reynolds Road while an Amtrak train pulling ten passenger cars was traveling east approaching a Reynolds Road railway crossing.

The railroad crossing arms were down, and all signals were reportedly in working order; deputies stated that it appears the victim disregarded the safety arms and attempted to cross the tracks before the train arrived. The train struck the car, forcing it into a spin off the roadway. The 11 crew and 94 passengers on the Amtrak train were uninjured, but the driver of the Corolla was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

Amtrak representatives commented to the press, “Train 92 struck a vehicle in Lakeland last night at approximately 7 p.m. There were no injuries to the crew or passengers. The train was delayed approximately 4 hours before continuing on. Local authorities are investigating.”

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