The abandoned vehicle that was struck by a train Sunday morning was stolen, BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said Tuesday.
Nobody was injured in the incident, which took place on a restricted area of the BNSF line at about 5:15 a.m. Sunday, Melonas said.
The vehicle apparently traveled onto a railroad crossing near Wintler Park to turn onto the rail line, and drove west between two sets of tracks for about one mile, Melonas said. It then became high-centered on some tracks, and the driver took off on foot, leaving the door open, he said.
The crew aboard the westbound train hauling 124 cars of coal spotted the vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to stop before hitting it, causing minor damage to the train. The locomotive stayed behind in Vancouver to undergo repairs while the rest of the train continued onto British Columbia, Melonas said.
“In this case, we did determine through the owner that the car was a legitimately stolen vehicle,” Melonas said. “That’s where the case stands from this point.”
