Chehalis Steam Train Hits Vehicle, Driver Injured

A Chehalis Steam Train dinner train hit a vehicle Sunday evening in Chehalis, causing the driver to have to be extricated from the car and taken to a hospital, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office responded to the incident at 6:34 p.m. Sunday in the 300 block of Spooner Road in Chehalis. 

“The steam train, the dinner train was traveling and apparently had some kind of mechanical issue I believe,” said Chief Deputy Dusty Breen. 

The train had to back up over the railroad crossing he said. At some point, a vehicle driven by a 69-year-old Raymond man began crossing the tracks as the train backed up, and was struck. 

“There’s just signage, there’s no lights or crossing guard that comes down,” Breen said. 

Breen noted that the conductor told deputies he saw the car coming and sounded to horn, with no response from the driver. He tried to stop the train but wasn’t successful. 

The driver was stuck inside the vehicle after the collision, and aid crews responded to extricate him. The man was injured, but Breen did not know the extent of his injures. 

“I know he was conscious and alert,” Breen said. 

Dispatchers contacted Twin Transit, which sent three buses to take passengers from the site of the crash to the parking area where they’d left their cars, said 

Aaron Rollins, planning, grants and information technology services manager. 

The Chronicle was not able to contact a representative from the steam train organization before press time.