Amtrak train hits vehicle stuck on tracks in Douglasville; driver leaves scene

A train struck a vehicle in Douglas County on Thursday night.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

A train struck a vehicle in Douglas County on Thursday night.

An Amtrak train crashed into a vehicle Thursday evening in Douglas County after the driver tried to cross the tracks and got stuck, authorities said.

The female driver abandoned the white 2012 Ford Explorer and left the scene before troopers arrived, according to the Georgia State Patrol. She was located Friday and cited for stopping, standing, parking in specified places, authorities said.

The GSP responded around 10 p.m. to the crash on Memorial Highway near Municipal Parkway in Douglasville. Troopers said the woman tried to cross the tracks but was forced to abandon the vehicle after it got partially stuck.

The train then hit the empty vehicle, which came to rest about 130 feet away, a crash report states. The driver believed that when she left the vehicle on the tracks, a sensor would notify the train that the vehicle was there, the report added.

According to Amtrak, the train was traveling from New Orleans to New York. None of the 45 passengers or crew members aboard were injured, and the company said it is working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident.