Caltrain involved in fiery crash with truck in San Bruno, 13 injured; investigation underway
Officials say there was one serious injury, five moderate injuries and seven minor injuries in Thursday's crash
SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- A collision between a Caltrain commuter train and on-track equipment late Thursday morning injured 13 people, including two Caltrain employees.
None of the injuries are life-threatening, according to Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman late Thursday afternoon. Five people are being treated at a local hospital.
Caltrain Crash: Here's everything you need to know
Passengers were visibly shaken following the crash and told ABC7 News about their experiences onboard.
"It was very scary for everybody. Everybody just kind of pushed, not pushed their way through, but we were all kind of anxious to get off the train as soon as possible," said passenger Elizabeth Tom.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision and Caltrain officials are working closely with them to assist the investigation.
VIDEO: Caltrain involved in fiery crash with truck in San Bruno
"The southbound 506 struck some on-track equipment, including a crane. This resulted in a fire," Lieberman said.
Lieberman says it's unclear at this time why the equipment was still on the tracks and where exactly a breakdown in communications occurred.
"That is under investigation. We will get an answer as soon as we have one," he said.
"There's always trucks working on the tracks, always there, but we've never seen nothing like this," said neighbor Jovani Lopez.
The collision, which occurred just before 10:40 a.m., led to systemwide delays, Lieberman said.
The incident and subsequent NTSB investigation continued to affect the system early Thursday evening.
The NTSB said late Thursday evening its launching a Go-Team. Some members already arrived and the rest on Friday to investigate the crash. They're trying to calm nerves and get answers as to how this could have happened.
A bus bridge, operated by Caltrain to replace train service in the affected area, is in effect until at least 4 p.m. Friday between the South San Francisco and Millbrae Caltrain stations. For the rest of the system, Caltrain will continue to operate under its regular weekday schedule. Passengers traveling between the South San Francisco and Millbrae train stations should expect service delays as a result of the bus-bridge.
One commuter in San Francisco said he was trying to get to San Mateo for a business meeting but ultimately ended up canceling.
"I'm just going back home. Because it just doesn't make sense. I wouldn't get there until long after I need to be there," said commuter Darrell Greenhouse.
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Thursday morning's collision involved a southbound Caltrain commuter train, which was carrying 75 passengers, and on-track Caltrain equipment.
"Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with all those who were injured today," said Michelle Bouchard, Caltrain's acting executive director. "Caltrain's core values have always prioritized the safety of our passengers, employees and the communities we serve, and we are deeply disappointed that those standards were not met today. We have a long history of providing safe and reliable service and we are committed to working closely with the NTSB and other regulators to determine the cause of today's incident. We will restore full Caltrain service as quickly and safely as possible."
Caltrain officials said passengers should consider alternative transportation options by visiting 511.org.
Passengers can receive relevant Caltrain service updates by following @CaltraINAlerts on Twitter and by checking the Caltrain Facebook page and Caltrain.com.
Caltrain will release additional information on the incident and the investigation as details become available.
KGO-TV staff contributed this report
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