TUOLUMNE COUNTY, Calif. — A train derailment Friday morning in Tuolumne County is under investigation after it closed a busy part of Sonora for hours.
First responders arrived at the scene of a reported train derailment near South Washington Street and Hospital Road in southern Sonora around 9:30 a.m., according to a social media post by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sonora Police Department told ABC10 it doesn't know what caused the derailment, but the police department of company who owns the train Sierra Northern Railway, will investigate the reason.
“We came out and the train already came to stop and knock down one of the crossing guards,” said Corporal Thomas Brickley with the Sonora Police Department.
Brickley says luckily no one was injured.
“Basically the train came down and then the rear cars came off and kind of slid into the road and hit the parked cars,” said Brickley.
Sierra Northern Railway owns the train that derailed. The train was carrying lumber, and the four cars that derailed were empty tank cars that normally carry propane, according to the railway.
Roads reopened around 9 p.m. Friday.
The Sierra Northern Railway tells ABC10, there was no leakage from the rail cars.
The company says their last derailment was 11 months ago. The president added the rail tracks should be fixed by Monday and the train is expected to resume schedule Tuesday morning.
Sonora Police says a portion of Hospital Road. will remain closed for the foreseeable future while repairs are made to the roadway and track.
