Rohnert Park SMART Train Crash: More Details Released

ROHNERT PARK, CA — More details were released Friday about a collision between a SMART train and a car Thursday on Rohnert Park Expressway.

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety responded at 5:50 p.m. to a crash involving three cars that were traveling eastbound on Rohnert Park Expressway near the SMART train tracks, according to Rohnert Park DPS Deputy Chief Kevin Kilgore.

As a result of the crash, a Toyota Prius came to rest with its front bumper slightly on the train tracks, Kilgore said.

Moments later, a SMART train that was traveling southbound on the tracks toward the Rohnert Park Expressway SMART Station at approximately 15-20 mph, entered the intersection of the tracks and Rohnert Park Expressway and struck the front bumper of the Prius, he said.

The driver of the Prius was not in the car at the time it was struck by the train, and there were no injuries reported as a result of the three-vehicle crash or the SMART train collision.

The driver was outside of the car dealing with the previous crash, Kilgore explained.

"They were going to try to move the vehicle back but it was not movable," Kilgore told Patch.

Meanwhile, the train came to a complete stop on the tracks, blocking both directions of travel on Rohnert Park Expressway for some 90 minutes, Kilgore said.

The incident also prompted a 45-minute delay Thursday night for all SMART trains.