Crime & Safety

Man Inside Vehicle When Struck By Train in Ellicott City

The man's vehicle was stuck on the tracks and a passenger was pushing it from behind when a train collided with it.

A train struck a car with a Baltimore man inside as another person attempted to push it off the railroad tracks early Saturday in Ellicott City, according to Howard County police, who released more details about the incident Monday. One man was injured.

The driver, Francisco Reyes, Jr., 20, was pushed 610 feet along the tracks when the train struck the vehicle, said police. Rescue workers transported Reyes to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with non-life threatening injuries.


A police investigation found that Reyes' vehicle, a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt, veered off the roadway and became stuck on the tracks near Old Frederick Road, according to police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn.

Reyes was steering the vehicle from inside as a second person, Blaise Nji, 21, of Baltimore, pushed the vehicle from behind when the train struck at about 4:27 a.m. on Sept. 7, according to Llewellyn. Nji was not injured.

The road was closed for about 2 hours and 40 minutes while police and CSX officials investigated the collision, said police. The train which was hauling 130 cars carrying coal did not derail or spill any of its contents, said police.



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