Fire department gets car off railroad tracks before train arrives

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Chattanooga Fire Department found a car trapped on train tracks and quickly acted to move the car before a train arrived.

It was a close call by Lightfoot Mill Road.

Firefighters originally responded to a call of a tree on a house on June 23 at 5 a.m. The call got canceled, and firefighters noticed a white Toyota Camry on the tracks while they were in the area.

The car was over 20 feet from the road, according to CFD.

Firefighters contacted the railroad and attempted to move the car but were unsure if rail traffic was stopped in time. CFD says they “nosed the truck in close to the front of the vehicle” and attached a winch.

They tried to pull it off, but the car could not roll over the tracks. Firefighters then used spreaders to get the car up over the tracks.

During this time, Chattanooga Police blocked traffic in both directions.

“Within 2-3 minutes, a train came through on the same track that the vehicle was stuck on,” the fire department said.

Firefighters ensured the well-being of the driver before turning the scene over to Chattanooga Police.

(From Captain Michael Davenport)