CRR man whose truck was hit by train recovering

Granddaughter calls it Christmas miracle; funds raised for medical bills

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 74-year-old Crooked River Ranch man whose pickup truck was struck by a train at a private crossing on Wednesday morning is recovering at St. Charles Bend, which his granddaughter calls a Christmas miracle.

Gilbert was on his way to the Redmond Rod & Gun Club, where he volunteers as a range officer, when his pickup was struck at the crossing on Gun Club Road by a northbound 5-car BNSF Railway train, which pushed the truck about 100 feet and off the tracks, officials said.

Gilbert was flown to St. Charles Bend with life-threatening injuries.

Gilbert's granddaughter said Saturday she could not believe it at first.

"My dad actually called me and told me while I was at work," Mysti Hall said. "Your first reaction to hearing someone got hit by a train is, 'You're kidding.' He told me he wasn't and that he was on his way to the hospital to go see Grandpa -- and I broke down."

Hall said her grandfather had back surgery and recently was upgraded from critical to serious codition. She said her grandfather can now breathe on his own, sit up with some support and talk a little bit.

Doctors told the family Gilbert likely will return home in February.

Hall and Olivia Gilbert have created a GoFundMe page to assist the family with expected medical bills.