HOUSTON – A woman was taken to a hospital after a train hit a car that she was in, officials said.
Union Pacific officials said a train slammed into a car on the tracks along Beechnut near Newcastle about 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Investigators said that a train was approaching the intersection and a woman driving a small car stopped but hit the guard arm. A mechanism was triggered inside the guard arm and it went up, officials said.
"When they're tapped, they do sometimes bounce back up," Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said. "But again, the gates were completely lowered and that's when she hit them."
The woman, 84-year-old Edith Talisman, thought the intersection was clear, so she went through. The train then hit the car, officials said.
The car spun after it was hit, officials said.
Talisman was taken to a nearby hospital. She was treated and released.
The train was traveling about 25 mph when it hit the car.
The intersection was blocked while officials investigated and crews cleared the wreckage.
This was the fourth incident in five days that involved a Union Pacific train and a motorist. Officials said the vast majority of incidents happen because drivers aren't paying attention.
"We'd like to take the opportunity to urge drivers to please use caution when approaching the tracks," Espinoza said. "Look at stepping back, putting the cellphone down, turning the radio down and actively thinking about what's up ahead when we see that sign that says it's a railroad track."