[04-18-2023] San Bernardino County, CA – Passenger Dead, Driver Injured After BNSF Train Hits Ford Mustang in Helendale

A BNSF train struck a Ford Mustang in the community of Helendale, San Bernardino County, leaving one person dead and another airlifted to a nearby hospital on Tuesday morning, April 18, 2023.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the tragic incident occurred near Vista Road and Jordan Road around 3:27 a.m.

A black Ford Mustang, with a man and a dog stuck inside, lay on the side of the tracks.

According to the logs, the engineer reported that the driver was conscious and breathing, but the dog in the car prevented him from extracting the driver. Emergency responders pronounced the passenger dead at the scene.

A Mercy Air helicopter landed nearby and transported the driver to a neighboring hospital. According to officials, he is expected to live.

Apple Valley Animal Control arrived and obtained the dog.

The CHP Victorville is helping with the investigation.

Reputable San Bernardino County Train Accident Lawyers

You should contact a California attorney immediately if you or a loved one have been injured in a train accident. Our reputable law office would be pleased to offer a free consultation and serve as an unbiased mediator if an insurance claim has been filed or will be filed due to an accident or wrongful death.

During this free consultation, one of our attorneys will evaluate your case, outline the next steps, and discuss the factors that could affect the final settlement offer.

Our distinguished San Bernardino County train accident lawyers at Arash Law, led by Arash Khorsandi, Esq., have won awards and recognition for their work on behalf of accident victims. To date, $750 million in compensation has been awarded to accident victims.

Contact us at (888) 488-1391 or click “Do I Have a Case?” on our website to schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers.

What to Do After a Train Accident

Here are some things you should do if a railway disaster involves you or someone you know:

• Call 911 right away. Don’t make assumptions while speaking with the police or your insurance provider; tell them the truth.
• Don’t ever admit fault, not even to the authorities. Tell the police officers the exact details of what took place. Give as much information as you can about the collision.
• Immediately seek medical care to limit the severity of any injuries.
• You might receive a call from the other party’s insurance provider as soon as the day of the collision. Whenever you speak with them, only divulge the necessary information. Avoid recording statements or accepting insurance compensation offers before discussing them with a lawyer.
• Consult with our California train accident lawyers immediately to maximize the value of your insurance policy.

Train Accident Statistics

The number of railroad fatalities rose to 893 in 2021, the highest number since 2007 and a 20% rise from the revised tally of 744 for 2020.

FRA statistics also show that 2,184 train collisions occurred in 2022. There were 274 crossing fatalities and 774 crossing injuries in 2022 across the U.S. In 2022, California had 171 train accidents, with 42 fatalities and 38 injuries.

The U.S. freight rail sector has been trying to install Positive Train Control (PTC) technology across more than 60,000 miles of the rail network ever since the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA) was passed.

PTC works to prevent accidents caused by human error, track or equipment failure, improper train movement through a grade crossing, track breaches, and other train operator errors.