81-Year-Old Woman Gets Scare Of Lifetime When Train Hits Car

WINTER HAVEN, FL — An 81-year Winter Haven woman got the scare of a lifetime Tuesday when the back of her car was struck by an Amtrak train. The force of the train caused the woman's car to spin around, according to Winter Haven police.

Elba Pastrana was not injured, but she was taken to Winter Haven Hospital Emergency Department for high blood pressure, explained Jamie Brown of the Winter Haven Police Department.

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The incident occurred at 4:12 p.m. along 7th St. SW near Ave. R SW, about 100 yards away from Winter Haven Station.

"Pastrana stopped due to traffic, and she didn't realize that she had stopped with the back portion of her car on the train tracks," said Brown. "An Amtrak passenger train was approaching and the crossing arms came down. Just the back portion of her vehicle was over the tracks."

The train was moving very slowly because it was approaching the station, Brown said.

"Other motorists alerted Pastrana to the fact that the back of her car was on the tracks and as she attempted to move the car, the train clipped the back of her car spinning it around," Brown said.

No one on the train was injured. Police did not know where the train was traveling from or its destination.

Photo courtesy Winter Haven Police Department