Expo Line Train Collides With a Car in Santa Monica Saturday, Sending Train Operator to the Hospital

2.17: An Exposition line train collided with a private automobile near the intersection of 7th Street and Colorado Blvd on Saturday. The train operator was slightly injured slightly. The SMPD issued the following press release on Twitter:

Santa Monica Police and Fire and Metro Rail Supervisors responded to a train vs vehicle collision scene at the intersection of 7th and Colorado. The Expo Train bound for East Los Angeles struck the vehicle as it was headed Eastbound on the tracks alongside Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica at around 1 this afternoon.

The train operator had minor injuries and was self-transported to a hospital by one of her supervisors. The driver of the struck vehicle had no injuries and was speaking with investigators at the scene.

The driver is cooperating with the investigation now, and it is unknown how the collision occurred. The light rail train also had damage to the front train car as a result of the collision. Warning signs and lights are installed at the intersection and flash in all travel directions when a train approaches the intersection. It is unknown if the warning lights were functioning as they should've when the crash occurred.