On Tuesday afternoon, the Wharton County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office reported a crash between a Union Pacific train and an automobile at South US 90-A and West Street in East Bernard.
Deputies immediately closed the crossing and aided Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers in securing the scene to conduct the investigation.
“It appeared that the automobile went around another vehicle stopped at the gates and continued to drive through the railroad crossing gate, striking the side of the train,” Wharton County Precinct 2 Constable J.A. Szymanski told The County Gin. “The train was eventually stopped in Fort Bend County and we believe they were unaware that the vehicle even struck the train.”
East Bernard EMS was on scene, although no major injuries were reported.
“Injuries appeared to be very minor, which is very fortunate considering what could have been the outcome,” Szymanski said. “It’s never a good idea to play ‘chicken’ with a train. Those trains can travel up to 60 miles per hour and usually aren’t the ones that take the biggest hit.”
Union Pacific arrived on the scene and worked to open the railway and repair the crossing gate.
According to Szymanski, the crossing was open at 12:45 p.m.
The constable would like to advise drivers to be cautious when approaching railroad crossings.
“Be very mindful of railroad crossing gates,” he told The Gin. “They are there to keep everybody safe; that is their purpose. It’s never a good idea to go through them. If you do get struck by a train, the outcome will usually be in the train’s favor.”
