Train strikes vehicle in Atwater, one arrested

A Catheys Valley man was arrested late Friday on suspicion of drunken driving after his vehicle was struck by a train in Atwater and he fled the scene on foot, the Atwater Police Department reported.

The driver, Bradley Eppler, was captured around 8:30 p.m. in the 400 block of East Broadway Avenue while trying to get into another vehicle, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

Police said Eppler, 34, was driving across the railroad tracks in the area of Atwater Boulevard and Shaffer Road when his vehicle became stuck. Eppler apparently got out of the vehicle before the train crashed into it, Joseph said.

Officers found the vehicle, a silver Jeep Cherokee, rolled over on the north side of the tracks. Eppler was not in the vehicle when it was struck, but suffered some type of head wound that required medical treatment, police said.

“The officers responded quickly and apprehended him prior to him getting into another motor vehicle while being intoxicated,” Joseph said.

No other injuries were reported.

Eppler was taken to an area hospital before being booked at the Merced County jail on suspicion of drunken driving, police said.

He was released from custody Saturday afternoon, according to booking records.

This story was originally published January 10, 2015 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Train strikes vehicle in Atwater, one arrested."