OXNARD, Calif. — A young Oxnard driver is in critical condition at a local trauma center after his luxury sedan stopped on railroad tracks and was struck by a passenger train Sunday night, public safety officials reported.
Click here to view the official Oxnard Police Department Facebook release regarding this serious vehicle versus train collision.
_(Aftermath footage of the collision scene provided courtesy of @venturacountyunleashed on Instagram)_
The major injury train collision is currently being investigated by collision reconstruction specialists assigned to the Oxnard Police Department Traffic Bureau.
Authorities confirmed the driver of the involved luxury vehicle is a 25-year-old male resident of Oxnard. Law enforcement personnel are temporarily withholding the young motorist's identity while primary medical treatments proceed and family members are notified.
Evening Train Collision and Emergency Medical Response
According to an official incident advisory issued by Oxnard Police Department Sergeant Juan Morales, emergency 911 dispatchers received urgent calls at approximately 8:05 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
Callers reported a major, high-impact collision involving a passenger automobile and an Amtrak train at the busy intersection of East Fifth Street and South Rose Avenue.
First-responding Oxnard police patrol officers and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) paramedics arrived at the scene within minutes of the initial dispatch calls. Upon arrival, emergency personnel located a silver 2024 Mercedes-Benz sedan that had sustained severe structural damage following an impact with a southbound Amtrak passenger train.
Paramedics extracted the sole occupant from the heavily damaged Mercedes-Benz. The 25-year-old driver suffered life-threatening physical trauma in the collision and was immediately stabilized at the scene by emergency medical crews.
Ambulance personnel rushed the victim to the Emergency Department at Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) in Ventura. Hospital medical staff evaluated the driver and listed him in critical condition inside the intensive care unit.
Traffic Bureau Investigation and Rail Crossing Dynamics
Collision reconstruction investigators responded to the intersection of Fifth Street and Rose Avenue to take over the primary investigation, secure physical evidence, measure skid marks, and analyze train warning equipment.
Based on preliminary investigative findings, traffic officers determined that the Amtrak passenger train was traveling southbound out of the City of Oxnard along the rail line running parallel to Fifth Street.
Simultaneously, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz was traveling southbound on Rose Avenue, approaching the signalized intersection and rail crossing at Fifth Street.
For reasons that remain under active investigation, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz drove onto the railroad crossing and came to a complete stop directly on the active train tracks in the path of the oncoming train, resulting in a violent impact.
Investigators are examining signal timing, crossing gate functionality, potential mechanical failures, and driver distraction to establish why the automobile stopped on the tracks.
"When Patrol Officers and emergency personnel arrived on scene, they discovered that a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and an Amtrak train had been involved in a collision. The driver of the Mercedes-Benz was transported by ambulance to the Ventura County Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition," the Oxnard Police Department detailed in its official press release.
"It appears the Amtrak train was leaving southbound from the City of Oxnard on the train tracks along Fifth Street and the Mercedes-Benz was traveling southbound on Rose Avenue approaching Fifth Street. For unknown reasons, the Mercedes-Benz stopped on the train tracks at Fifth Street and a collision took place," public safety officials added.
Roadway Reopening and Investigator Contact Information
The severe collision forced public safety officers to close the intersection of Rose Avenue and Fifth Street for several hours while physical evidence was cataloged, train passengers were evaluated, and the damaged vehicle was removed from the right-of-way.
Oxnard Police Department watch commanders issued an official traffic update confirming that all lanes of traffic at Rose Avenue and Fifth Street have been fully reopened to normal vehicular flow. None of the passengers or crew members aboard the Amtrak train reported physical injuries.
Rail safety advocates regularly remind motorists never to stop a vehicle on railroad tracks under any circumstances. Drivers approaching railway crossings must ensure there is sufficient room to clear the tracks entirely before proceeding through an intersection.
Anyone with information regarding this collision, or who observed the Mercedes-Benz prior to the crash, is urged to contact lead investigating Corporal Joseph Clarke at (805) 385-7750 or via email at joseph.clarke@oxnardpd.org.
General tips can also be directed to the main Oxnard Police Department line at (805) 385-7600, or after-hours Watch Commanders at (805) 385-7746 or (805) 385-7778. Official updates are available on the Oxnard Police Department Official Facebook Release.