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Phoenix Sees First Light Rail Crash

POSTED: 11:38 am MST December 2, 2008
UPDATED: 2:39 pm MST December 2, 2008

It's still only doing test runs, but the Valley light rail has already been involved in its first crash.

VISIT: Metro Light Rail Section

The crash occurred near 24th and Washington streets at around 10:30 a.m.

The Phoenix Fire Department treated at least one person for minor injuries.

Police and city officials were on hand to access the accident.

"It sort of breaks the ice," said Larry Engleman, Metro's director of safety and security. "It's gotten a lot of attention. This should be a fender bender that involved one police car, and maybe a fire truck and an ambulance, and should have been cleared up in 15 minutes."

Testing on the full 20-mile light rail line from Phoenix to Mesa has been under way for nearly two months. The new $1.4 billion system is set to open on Dec. 27.

The accident occurred after a 1995 blue Oldsmobile sedan driven by a 78-year-old woman ran a red light. The car and train collided at a low speed, said Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson.

There was minor damage to the train and more extensive damage to the car.

The woman, whom police did not identify, declined to speak to reporters. She sat crying in her back seat following the accident.

"This individual is a little shook up," Thompson said. "Anytime you have a collision with a train, that's a traumatic experience ... This woman seems to be just a very sweet lady that's just going about her daily activities and gets in an accident and now sees every camera in town, every radio station in town."

Engleman said the public shouldn't be worried about the collision. "Our message has always been obey the traffic signals, cross only at the crosswalks if you're a pedestrian and we'll get along just fine."

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