A train crashed into a car off Highway 99. And the driver managed to escape unhurt

Authorities said an Atwater man escaped injury when his car was hit by a freight train on Thursday near Atwater.

A witness near the scene captured video of the moment the train struck the car.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Zuniga, at about 6:56 a.m., 20-year-old Atwater resident Alex Marinello Martinez, was driving a 1998 BMW southbound on Highway 99 at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle and went off the right shoulder of the road.

The car traveled down and embankment before coming to rest on nearby railroad tracks north of Franklin Road.

Authorities said moments later, Martinez exited the vehicle before a Union Pacific freight train traveling northbound crashed into the BMW.

Martinez did not sustain any injuries in the collision and CHP officers were able to make contact with the train’s conductor following the crash, Zuniga said.

According to authorities, the CHP will conduct an investigation as to what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, while railroad police will conduct an investigation of the collision between the train and the vehicle.

Authorities said drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash.

This story was originally published April 11, 2019 at 4:26 PM.