What happens when emergency responders report to the scene of a train vs. car accident and the occupant(s) of the car are nowhere to be found?
This was the dramatic scene on Tue., May 28 when at approximately 2:13pm, the Saint Remy Fire Department, Esopus Fire Department, and Town of Esopus Volunteer Ambulance Squad were dispatched to a significant motor vehicle accident involving a train and a car just south of the Esopus Avenue railroad crossing. Upon arrival, the first responding unit quickly assessed the situation, reporting a head-on collision between a CSX train and a car. Interestingly, no occupants were found in the vehicle at the scene. This prompted a thorough search by firefighters and police officers along the railroad tracks and surrounding areas, lasting approximately two hours, to locate the driver and any potential passengers.
During the extensive search, the driver of the vehicle was discovered in a wooded area some distance away from the initial accident site. Police escorted the driver to an ambulance, which subsequently transported them to the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley for medical evaluation and treatment. The accident resulted in a temporary halt to train traffic for about three hours to ensure safety and facilitate the rescue and investigation efforts.
The Ulster County Sheriff’s Department has taken the lead in the investigation, which is ongoing.
Last year, a man was killed after being hit by a CSX train in nearby Kingston. In 2022, a driver was hospitalized after being hit by a CSX train, also in Kingston. In 2017, a woman was struck and killed by a CSX train in what was believed to be a suicide.
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