A mother and son were injured after their car was struck by a train Saturday night at the CSX railroad crossing at Range Road and 700 S. in La Porte County.
The accident occurred at 7:50 p.m. CT. According to an investigation by deputies from the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, the 36-year-old driver from Kingsford Heights was traveling south on Range Road waiting for a westbound train to pass. Once the train passed, she drove her car around the gates unaware an eastbound train was approaching. The train struck the rear of the passenger car and it was pushed 150 feet from the crossing into a cornfield.
Police say bystanders were able to get the six-year-old boy from the vehicle, but emergency responders had to extricate his mother from the vehicle. It took firefighters from Kingsbury and Kingsford-Union Fire Departments 25 minutes to free her from the car. Memorial Med Flight and a Samaritan helicopter were called to the scene to tend to the victims. Both mother and son were conscious and stable when they boarded the helicopters. They were flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.
Police closed the area during the investigation however a driver approached the area. Police say Anthony Feese, 36, of Kingsford Heights, had an open bottle of rum in the front seat of his vehicle and a strong odor of alcohol was detected. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. A blood test revealed his blood alcohol content was .27%, according to the report.
