Train collides with car northeast of Lawrence

A freight train collided with a 1995 Ford Explorer early Friday, just northeast of North Lawrence.

The driver said she suffered minor neck pains from the collision, which occurred about 2:44 a.m. near 1685 E. 1600 Road, but she declined medical attention at the scene.

Sgt. Blake McCall of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said officers took her to Lawrence Memorial Hospital to evaluate her condition and determine whether alcohol was involved in the accident.

“It sounds like the gates were down and she tried to go around,” McCall said.

The driver then reportedly came to a stop on the tracks.

The eastbound train, which was pulling more than 100 cars, struck the SUV, which was headed north.

The train came to a stop and didn’t begin moving again until the intersection was cleared at 5:12 a.m.

McCall said accidents between trains and cars weren’t uncommon at that intersection. He said he had been dispatched to at least five similar accidents there in his 22-year tenure with the sheriff’s office.