Woman drives car onto rails, escapes just before train hits

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004 | 11:08 a.m.

A woman who drove her car onto railroad tracks just west of Interstate 15 at Craig Road this morning fled the car just before a train slammed into it.

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers said the woman, who is in her early 20s, turned right onto the tracks after mistaking them for a road just after 6 a.m.

North Las Vegas Police arrested her on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance after she failed a field sobriety test, Highway Patrol Trooper Angie Wolff said. Officers also found an undisclosed quantity of narcotics on her, Wolff said.

The green Dodge Stratus she was driving got stuck on the tracks just as she heard the train horn blaring as it barrelled down the tracks behind her, so she bailed out of the car.

"She had high heels on, but she ran as fast as she could," Wolff said.

The train hit the left rear of the car and sent it spinning off the track.

"She's got no injuries, she's just shaken up," Wolff said.

"She had packets of drugs -- everything except marijuana," Wolff said, adding that officers believed the drugs included cocaine and crystal meth.

Police towed the vehicle to their impound lot for further investigation. The trunk of the vehicle was so badly damaged they could not search the inside, Wolff said. Troopers said later that no additional drugs were found in the car.

The woman's blood will be tested once she is booked in the Clark County Detention Center, Wolff said. The train engineer told investigators he could see the lights of the woman's car on the tracks from about a half-mile away and he immediately started sounding his horn and slammed on his brakes but was unable to stop, authorities said.

Trains continued to run on the track after the accident. Ongoing construction on the left side of Craig Road from Losee Road up to North Fifth Street makes the area confusing to drive, Wolff said.