Metrolink Train Crash: Oxnard, California Accident With Produce Truck Causes Cars to Derail, Dozens Sent to Hospital

Nearly 30 people were injured after a collision between a Los Angeles-bound Metrolink and a produce truck Tuesday morning. Five train cars were derailed, and three were left on their side after the accident in Oxnard just before 6 a.m.

The train was traveling just below the 79 mph cruising speed, NBC Los Angeles reports. The train operator applied the emergency breaks after noticing the truck and the trailer on the tracks.

Injuries sustained by victims of the crash include head trauma, neck and back injuries. At least four people were critically injured. So far, 28 people are reported hospitalized.

The driver of the truck initially fled the scene but was later apprehended, unharmed, by police about a mile from the crash site. He is now being questioned in connection with the crash.

The Federal Railroad Administration put out a statement, announcing its intentions to begin an investigation into the accident.

"This morning's accident on Metrolink's Ventura County Line is a tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration said. "Federal Railroad Administration investigators are en route to the scene, and they will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the factors that contributed to this accident. Safety must be every railroad's absolute top priority and we will establish what lapses, if any, occurred and order any necessary corrective actions."

The National Transportation Safety Board also said they will lead an investigation into the collision.

Tuesday's accident is not the first collision incident Metrolink has experienced. In the past 10 years, Metrolink has been involved in two deadly accidents.

In 2005, a truck was abandoned on a rail line in Glendale. The Metrolink train was derailed and hit other trains on either side of the tracks -- 11 people were killed.

In 2008, a freight train and Metrolink train collided head-on in Chatsworth, killing 25. The cause of the accident was determined to be the Metrolink train running through a red signal before entering the single-track section.

Metrolink put out a statement on their website stating all Ventura County Line trains will be experiencing delays, with tracks between Oxnard and Camarillo remaining closed.