Couple OK after car rolls over onto train tracks and gets hit by train near Refugio State Beach

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of a vehicle rollover that occurred Wednesday afternoon in the Refugio State Beach area.

A married couple visiting from China was traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 101 when near Refugio State Beach when the female driver lost control of the car, left the roadway, went down an embankment and rolled over onto the nearby train tracks landing on its rooftop, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Spokesperson Mike Eliason.

Soon after, as the couple stood on the railroad tracks, the conductor of an Amtrak passenger train passing through the area began sounding the train’s horn and initiated the brakes but it was unable to stop on time and collided with the car, said Eliason.

Fortunately, the couple had self-extricated from the wreckage before the train struck the car and were not injured. There were approximately 51 passengers onboard the train at the time of the crash — none were hurt.

The incident happened at about 12:23 p.m. Train service was stopped for at least one hour.