At 8:10 this morning police and fire personnel were dispatched to the railroad crossing on Hamblen Road just north of Thompson Drive on the report of a pick-up truck being struck by a southbound train. The truck, driven by a 44 year old male Lee’s Summit resident, had just exited a business adjacent to the crossing when it crossed the tracks while the barricades were down. As the truck crossed the tracks it was struck by the southbound 8:05 Amtrak train heading to St. Louis. The impact of the train separated the bed from the cab and ejected the male occupant approximately 40 feet from the impact point. The male was transported to a metro area hospital and is currently in ICU with serious injuries but is expected to survive. His identity is being withheld allowing for proper notification of family members.
The Amtrak train, carrying 129 passengers, was able to stop within one mile of the crash site. No injuries were reported on the train and after 90 minutes the train continued on its trip. The crossing at Hamblen Road remained closed until noon as officer’s completed their investigation and took crash reconstruction measurements.