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A Syracuse man suffered a neck injury after his pickup truck was hit by a train at the railroad crossing on East Winona Avenue in Warsaw.
Several railroad crossings in downtown Warsaw were closed for several hours as emergency services responded to the accident.
The crash occurred at about 12:14 p.m. Monday, according to a Warsaw Police accident report.
Reynaldo Rodriguez, 34, East Circle Drive North, Syracuse, told police he was westbound in his green 2005 Nissan Titan on Winona Avenue when he went around a vehicle that appeared to be pulled over and approached the crossing.
Once on the first set of tracks, he heard the train horn and, as he looked to the south, he told police he saw the northbound train.
Rodriguez said he swerved but his pickup struck the train near the engine and came to a rest along the side of the tracks.
He said he did not hear the train horn until he was on the tracks and did not see the crossing lights activated.
The 118-car Norfolk Southern train sounded its horn prior to reaching the intersection, according to train engineer James Crawmer. The train headlight was on prior to the crash, he said.
An inspection of the intersection crossing lights showed the audible bells were on and lights were working, according to the WPD report.
A witness said she was traveling west on Winona Avenue and stopped for the railroad crossing lights. She said Rodriguez’s vehicle went around her vehicle and was hit by the train.
Rodriguez was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital.
