Two Women Hospitalized after Train Collision in Robbinsdale

Two elderly women were sent to the hospital Monday morning after a train collided with a car in Robbinsdale.

Capt. John Elder of the Robbinsdale Police Department says a BNSF train struck the passenger side of a Toyota RAV4 around 9:20 a.m. Monday at the 42nd Avenue crossing.

The train then dragged the vehicle down the tracks about 130 yards.

“This was not a high speed on the RAV4’s part, and it is believed that they just simply didn’t see the warning lights or hear the sounds,” said Elder.

First responders extracted the 69-year-old driver and her 88-year old passenger using the jaws of life.

Both women were taken to North Memorial Health Hospital with serious injuries.

The Toyota RAV4 struck by the train was hauled away on a flatbed truck Monday morning.

Police say the warning bells and lights were working at the time of the crash, and the train was sounding its horn. However, the crossing is not equipped with stop arms.

“The trains that are coming through here are moving at a slow pace, or a slower pace,” Elder said. “This isn’t one of the high-speed trains, certainly coming through; and they go right by our office several times a day. And again, these aren’t high speeds.”

Elder said there were crew members on the train at the time of the collision, but BNSF isn’t reporting any injuries.

Meanwhile, the incident was caught on video by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper who was in the area. Police are using that video to help with their investigation.

Related: Moving On: Blue Line Extension Light Rail Route to Change Without BNSF Railway

Robbinsdale