The woman was able to get out just before impact.
HOUSTON — A train ran into a car in southeast Houston and was caught on camera.
It happened near Howard and Galveston Road. That’s just a few miles from the spot where a teenager was killed crossing the tracks in December.
A woman who was in the car managed to get out just in time. Cell phone video showed the train pushing the car, which had been sitting on the tracks at a light, down the tracks.
In a statement, Union Pacific said no one was injured. Union Pacific reminded all drivers to exit their vehicle if they get stuck on the tracks and call the number on the blue sign located at each crossing.
Witnesses called the woman’s escape a miracle. Houston police say these crashes can have horrific endings and that’s why they urge caution around train tracks.
This video captured the woman getting out of the car seconds before it was hit.
“There are stop lines on the ground and they are clearly marked,” said Captain Jason Rosemon with the Houston Police Department. “Usually, they’re clearly marked where you should stop behind that. So, you never want to stop on the tracks. You never want to go raise the arm or go around the arm. Oftentimes, trains are going faster than you expect.”
It’s a tough warning to hear for those who have struggled with trains causing traffic in their neighborhood for years.
“We have increased congestion and when you have these long slow trains, people are anxious. People don’t want to get stopped by trains.”
The East End District says they’re working to add sensors to help first responders navigate the area.
“Let them know when a crossing is active and there’s a train there,” said Jack Hanagriff with the East End District.
While reporting on this story, we did see more drivers stop right on the tracks.
The area where the car was hit gets very congested, especially after school gets out at Chavez High School. We saw a train going by shortly after school was let out on Friday. Nearby residents say they hope they can work something out with Union Pacific to change some of the routes that trains go through the area and the times.