30 injured as LA commuter train slams into tractor in California

A Los Angeles-bound commuter train slammed into a tractor trailer stopped on the tracks in Oxnard, California, during the morning rush hour yesterday, injuring more than 30 people, some of them seriously, authorities said.

The truck driver fled following the collision but was apprehended by police and taken into custody, Ventura County Fire spokeswoman Margaret Remmen said. She did not know what charges the driver was facing.

The fiery crash, just before 6am local time in Ventura County, north-west of Los Angeles, overturned at least three double-decker Metrolink rail cars. Two other cars derailed but remained upright. The force of the collision smashed the truck apart and television images showed burned-out chunks smouldering hours later.