The occupants of a vehicle are lucky to be alive after a train collided with their car.
Emergency crews were called to the collision just south of Ponoka off Highway 2A on Sunday afternoon. The call came in at approximately 2 p.m. that a train had hit a car.
It is believed the car was crossing the tracks when the front of the train, which was northbound, collided with the rear end of the vehicle sending it into the east ditch of the tracks. The collision pushed the car into the railway crossing lights, which damaged and upended them.
Air bags on the sedan deployed and its rear end was completely destroyed, however, the front end, where the occupants were, appear to have suffered minor injuries.
Ponoka RCMP, EMS and the Ponoka County East District Fire Department were all on scene of the incident.
One of the individuals involved said they blacked out at the time of the collision. They were taken to the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre for evaluation.
The train was travelling at such a rate that it eventually stopped about three miles north of the collision.
About an hour later it is believed CP Rail police and inspection crews were heading to the scene to repair the east side train crossing lights and investigate.
At this time it is unclear the cause of the collision and how long the train tracks in that spot will be closed.
Members of the Ponoka County East District Fire Department inspect a vehicle involved in a collision with a train Sunday afternoon. The occupants are believed to have suffered minor injuries from the incident and the tracks were expected to be closed for some time. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
