3 injured in accident involving Amtrak train in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. - Three people were injured in an incident involving an Amtrak train on Friday afternoon, officials said.

According to the Oakland Fire Department, a train and a front loader tractor collided near 50th Avenue and East 8th Street, not far from the Oakland Coliseum.

Fire officials said the operator of the tractor and a passenger on board the Amtrak train were hurt. Authorities did not provide information on the extent of their injuries.  A third person was reported to have suffered minor injuries and was not transported to a hospital, said Oakland Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.

A witness told KTVU that two men operating front-loader tractors were clearing debris from homeless encampments near the track. One of the men crossed the tracks and urged his colleague to do the same.

"One of the other workers said, ‘Oh, I tried to yell at him to hurry up because the arm was coming down, and I told him, please, please, hurry, hurry, and he just kept going.' The guy said the tractor was just moving too slow and just didn't make it," said the witness, a man who works nearby and wanted only to be identified as Tom.

Tom said he heard the collision from his office and ran over to help. The victim was still in the wreckage of the tractor.

"I looked in, and the guy was still alive, moaning," Tom said. "I just tried to reassure him we had help on the way and just to hold on." 

Investigators said about 30 passengers were on the train when it collided with the tractor. 

SKY Fox captured video of the wreckage which showed the mangled tractor and the Amtrak train with front-end damage.

An Oakland fire hazmat team responded to the scene after reports that the train's diesel tank ruptured.

Rail traffic was stopped in both directions.

Hunt said Cal-OSHA and the NTSB have been notified. 

Bay City News contributed to this report.