WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Sgt. Helps Rescue Driver From Stuck Vehicle
Member Center:
Sgt. Loren Scholes of the Port Wentworth PD had just pulled up to the railroad crossing at Gulfstream Road and Highway 21 in Chatham County when he saw something on the tracks.
"I noticed something shimmering here on this corner. I couldn't tell where it was or what it was," said Scholes.
It was a car stuck on the tracks. His first reaction? Get the driver to leave the car and get off tracks. Time was of the essence.
"I noticed down at Dean Forest Road about two miles south of here, I could see a train coming at us, so I told the guy again to hurry and get whatever he needed out of the car," said Scholes.
The man told Scholes the car belonged to a friend and he was not ready to give in just yet.
"As the arms were coming down and the bell was dinging, as we were leaving the car headed back toward safety he suddenly turns and heads back to the car," said Scholes. "I had to get him again and order him away from the car."
And not a moment too soon.
"Unreal, the amount of instant damage to the vehicle was almost like watching a bomb explode," said Scholes. Watch the impact for yourself: DASH CAM VIDEO: Train vs. Car.
"I don't see how people cannot respect a train for what it is," said Scholes.
The car ended up more than 400 feet down the tracks, mangled and destroyed. But the man driving it is alive to tell about it, thanks to Sgt. Scholes who was at the right place at the right time.
Reported by: David Hall, dhall@wtoc.com
