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Three passengers were injured when a Metrolink train crashed into a big-rig in Santa Clarita. (Photos: Los Angeles Daily News)

Metrolink crash: Three Metrolink passengers were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries after the train crashed into a big-rig stalled on the tracks Saturday in Santa Clarita.

•   An out-of-town truck driver got lost near a Metrolink train track.

•   The driver tried to turn the truck around and got stuck on the tracks.

•   An oncoming Metrolink train crashed into the truck.

•   Three passengers from the train were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries they suffered in the accident.

The accident occurred shortly before 9:40 p.m. just south of the intersection of Pine and Newhall Avenue, according to a report in the Santa Clarita Valley News.

The driver of a car carrier hauling new Lexus automobiles had gotten lost on Pine Street, his driving partner said.

They were advised by another truck driver to turn around, which they attempted to do, but the car carrier got stuck on the tracks.

The driver and his driving partner exited the car carrier just before the Metrolink Train No. 271 slammed into the stalled big-rig.

The impact smashed the cab of the truck, but neither of the drivers was injured because they had already gotten out of the vehicle.

Three Metrolink passengers were taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries.

What is a minor injury?

Police and firefighter classifications of “minor injuries” can be misleading. Even a so-called “minor” injury may be far more serious than it initially appears and can have a major impact on the victim’s life. Some injuries aren’t even evident until days or weeks after an accident.

Injuries that are designated as “minor” may include whiplash, strains, sprains, lacerations, and bone fractures. All of these types of injuries may vary in severity.

* Whiplash, for example, is neck injury caused by sudden jerking or “whipping” of the head, as often occurs in car accidents, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It may not be noticed for several days, yet it can cause stiffness and numbness in the head, neck, back, shoulders, and arms. The initial symptoms may appear to go away and then return for months or even years, according to the NIH report.

* Strains and sprains are soft tissue injuries. Strains can cause pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and trouble moving the muscle, according to the NIH. Sprains involve pain, swelling, bruising, and being unable to move the joint. Initial treatment often requires taking time off work to rest the injury, sometimes followed by longer-term physical therapy.

* Lacerations include cuts, tears, and puncture wounds. A variety of factors determine how quickly a laceration may heal. Infection is always a risk with a laceration, and this risk can be particularly dangerous for diabetics. Even minor lacerations may cause permanent scars.

* Bone fractures are very common in car accidents. They can be extremely painful, and may involve swelling, bruising, or bleeding as well as numbness, tingling, and the inability to move a limb. Some fractures require surgery to implant plates, pins, or screws to keep the bone in place. The impact of a fracture on daily activities is immediate and often disabling. Follow-up surgery and physical therapy may stretch the recovery period to months.

Santa Clarita Light Rail Accidents

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident and train crash victims for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Fatal pedestrian accident: A 33-year-old mother was struck and killed by a Metrolink train in Riverside.

A 33-year-old mother was struck and killed by a Metrolink train in Riverside Saturday night after she pushed her 2-year-old daughter’s stroller to safety on the other side of the tracks.

•   A mother pushing her daughter in a stroller tried to walk across a Metrolink grade crossing in a Riverside neighborhood near her home.

•   The wheels of the stroller got caught in the tracks — twice — and the mother had to stop and dislodge them. 

•   The engineer and conductor of an oncoming Metrolink train saw the woman, sounded the horn, and tried to brake, but could not stop the train in time to avoid hitting the woman.

•   The woman had managed to push the stroller to safety on the other side of the tracks, but she was killed on the spot. The little girl was not hurt.

The fatal pedestrian accident occurred at about 7 p.m., according to  a report in the Southwest Riverside News Network.

Riverside resident Susan Dibene was pushing her daughter — Paris Belle — along the sidewalk on Mary Street in a stroller at the time of the accident. Her mother said they lived around the corner and probably were just walking to a nearby Circle K convenience store.

As they approached the Metrolink grade crossing at Brockton Avenue, the crossing arms lowered and the lights started flashing to indicate that a train was coming, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Riverside Police Sgt. Skip Showalter said Dibene tried to get across the tracks before the train got there, but the wheels on the stroller appartently got stuck in the tracks and Dibene had to stop to dislodge them. The Metrolink conductor and engineer saw Dibene trying to free the stroller. She got it loose once and then it got stuck again.

The train engineer braked and sounded the horn. Dibene was frantically trying to dislodge the wheels and move the trailer. She finally freed the stroller and pushed it to safety on the other side of the tracks, but the engineer was unable to stop the train in time to avoid hitting her. She died at the scene.

The little girl was not hurt. Paramedics transported her to Riverside County Hospital to be examined and then released her to her grandmother.

The crash is being investigated by Metrolink, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside County coroner and the Riverside Police Department.

Riverside Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented pedestrian accident victims and their families for more than 35 years.  The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.