Couple Hurt When Train Hits Car That Was Thrust Onto Tracks

An Anaheim couple were injured Saturday when a train hit their car, which had been rear-ended by another vehicle and thrust into a Fullerton railroad crossing, authorities said.

Laura and Javier Nunez, both 28, were in the car when the train hit it but sustained only minor injuries, according to Fullerton Police Sgt. Bud Lathrop. They were taken to Martin Luther Hospital Medical Center in Anaheim and were in stable condition, a nursing supervisor said.

The incident occurred about 6:25 p.m. at a Santa Fe Railroad crossing on State College Boulevard just north of Orangethorpe Avenue.

The driver who rear-ended the couple was described as an Anaheim man in his 30s. He apparently was uninjured. Lathrop said the incident was originally being investigated as a hit-and-run because the driver left the scene.

Authorities later learned that he had left his identification with another passer-by. Lathrop said investigators are uncertain why the man left the area and said they will question him about the incident.

“The driver was still at the scene after the train hit the car,” Lathrop said. “When officers arrived, they told the driver to stay put while they assisted the victims. When they got back, he was gone. We now think his fleeing was not an attempt to get away as such. He apparently got bored. We still want to talk to him, though. “

Lathrop said the driver may be cited for driving without a license.