Amtrak train slams into big rig at railroad crossing in Richmond

An Amtrak train carrying 123 passengers struck an 18-wheeler in Richmond on Tuesday when the big-rig driver apparently tried beat the train across the tracks, officials said. Amtrak’s San Joaquin train number 711, which operates between Bakersfield and Oakland, was traveling near Cutting Boulevard in Richmond when it hit the truck about 10:30 a.m., according to Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham. When the train came through, it split the trailer from the cab of the truck, according to Lt. Felix Tan, a spokesman for the Richmond Police Department. None of the train’s passengers or crew were seriously injured, although a few were treated at the scene for minor injuries, Graham said.