At least 20 people were treated for injuries, many for complaints of pain, after an Oakland Amtrak train bound for Bakersfield derailed when it hit a trailer attached to a semi truck in Shafter this afternoon, a spokesman for the Shafter Police Department said.
Shafter is located in Kern County near Bakersfield.
The train, which had approximately 219 passengers on board, derailed at approximately 4:04 p.m. at Shafter Avenue, according to Amtrak.
Sgt. Randy Milligan, a spokesman for the Shafter Police Department, said that the train, which was moving at 79 mph, hit the trailer of a semi truck that had been traveling westbound on North Shafter Avenue. The train operator engaged the emergency lock before hitting the trailer, he said.
The driver of the semi truck walked away uninjured, Milligan said.
Amtrak reported at least 10 passengers and one crewmember injured, and said the injured were transported to a local hospital. Amtrak also said that the additional passengers were transported from the scene to the nearby Bakersfield station.
The lead wheel of the cab car of train 714 derailed, and the train remained upright, according to Amtrak.
Passengers traveling in the area on other Amtrak trains — 703, 716 and 717 — will be accommodated via alternative transportation, according to Amtrak.
A crane is still working on removing the derailed train, Milligan said.
