Drunk Driver who Parked on Train Tracks saved by Passersby

A 34-year-old Orlando woman who parked her car on the Washington Street railroad tracks in downtown Orlando was pulled from her car by good Samaritans moments before a train slammed into the vehicle. Orlando police say that they arrested the woman and charged her with DUI property damage and personal injury. When police arrived on the scene and began questioning the woman, she told them that she had driven her car from "Wall Street" off Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando before parking the vehicle.

When asked if she knew that she had parked her car on train tracks, "(she) stated no," police said.

She told officers that she had had three drinks that evening and ranked herself a “4” on a sobriety scale of 1 to 10, with 0 being completely sober and 10 being drunk.

The witnesses who pulled the woman from her car before it was struck and demolished by the train told police that they had seen her park on the tracks around 4 a.m. They said that when they realized that the woman was not going to move her black Mitsubishi out of the way of the CSX locomotive as it grew closer, they jumped out of their car and raced to get her out in time.

"When they attempted to remove (her) from the vehicle, she resisted them," police said.

Once the witnesses pulled her from the car, she turned around and saw the train collide with the rear of her car, which was still running. A blood test revealed that the driver had a blood-alcohol content of 0.163 shortly after the incident – more than twice the legal limit.

Fortunately, the only damage done by this drunk driver was to her own vehicle and the front of a locomotive. However, many Floridians are not so lucky. In 2011, 716 people were killed in accidents caused by drunk drivers in our state and thousands more were injured. If you or a member of your immediate family has been injured by a drunk driver and you would like to speak with an Orlando drunk driving accident injury lawyer, call James O. Cunningham today at 888-FLA-AUTO (888-352-2886). Call him today and get an aggressive and experienced Orlando personal injury attorney on your side!

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.