Prineville woman hurt, cited in car-train crash

A Prineville woman received minor injuries Monday when her car slid on ice and crashed into a slow-moving train at a railroad crossing on NW Lone Pine Road north of O’Neil Highway in Crook County, Oregon State Police said.

Troopers assisted the Crook County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation and a trooper cited the car’s driver.

According to OSP Sgt. Keith Taylor, around noon, a 1997 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Norma Sharp, 59, of Prineville, was southbound on Lone Pine Road approaching the railroad crossing as a City of Prineville Railway train was westbound at about 10 mph on a straight stretch of track.

The train’s operator, whose name is not available, blew the horn as it approached the crossing, but Taylor said the car’s driver didn’t notice the signal or train until near the crossing.

When Sharp braked to try and stop the car from crossing the tracks, the car slid on the icy roadway into the right side of the train’s lead engine car.

Sharp was taken by ambulance to St. Charles-Redmond for treatment of minor injuries. She was cited by OSP for failure to stop for a railroad signal.

Passenger Peter Sharp, 69, was not injured, troopers said.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigating agency assisted at the scene by OSP, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and Redmond Fire & Rescue.