The Amtrak Downeaster and an SUV collided Saturday afternoon near Woodfords Corner in Portland, snarling traffic in the area for over an hour.
Police, fire and ambulance crews responded shortly after 4 p.m. to the crash site on Woodford Street, between Beacon Street and Forest Avenue, said police Lt. Robert Doherty.
The tan Ford Explorer, driven by an 88-year-old Portland resident, was heading east on Woodford Street toward Forest Avenue and the train was traveling north toward stops in Freeport and Brunswick.
A railroad crossing arm came to rest on the roof of the SUV.
“It appears that the SUV stopped in the railroad tracks as the train approached,” Doherty said. “The cause of the crash is under investigation.”
The driver, who had no passengers, was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries and transported to a local hospital for further treatment, Doherty said. About two dozen Amtrak passengers and crew members reported no injuries, he said.
Doherty said passers-by told police they noticed the SUV on the tracks before the crash and warned the driver that the train was approaching.
Amtrak officials were at the scene and are assisting in the investigation, Doherty said.
The train continued traveling north around 5:15 p.m. and the SUV was removed from the intersection soon thereafter.
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