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Woman Suspected Of DUI Abandons Car On Tracks, Leading To Amtrak Crash
People say the responsible thing to do if you'd had a little too much to drink is to leave your car behind and retrieve it in the morning. However, that only works if you've left your car somewhere safe and not on, say, train tracks. Arcelia Delgadillo, 27, of Ventura is accused of mistakenly driving her car, possibly while intoxicated, onto a set of tracks near Garden Street and the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Sunday just after 7:30 p.m., according to a release from the Ventura Police Department.
Upon realizing that the compact car was trapped on the tracks, police say Delgadillo and a male passenger got out and stood a short distance away. About three minutes later, an Amtrak train carrying 60 passengers came along. Though it was only traveling at a speed of 15 to 20 mph, and despite emergency efforts, the train was unable to come to a complete stop in time and crashed into the abandoned car.
The rain added an additional hazard as the collision may have caused an electrical shortage that electrified the car and the tracks.
Amtrak advised the conductor to reverse the train, which separated it from the wreckage of the car, according to the Ventura County Star. Later, a tow truck was able to take the car away. It took about two hours for the scene to be cleared and the investigation to be finished.
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Delgadillo was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
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