A California truck driver has died following a crash on Oct. 1 that involved an Amtrak train and a tanker truck in Santa Barbara County, Calif.
According to local reports, the truck driver, 58-year-old Santiago Saucedo Sr. of Santa Maria, Calif., turned on a dirt road near state Highway 1 and Brown Road to cross an uncontrolled railroad crossing. The Amtrak train traveling northbound crashed into the right side of the truck, which was driven by Saucedo and was carrying 3,500 gallons of diesel.
The impact of the crash overturned the truck and spilled fuel on the roadway, railroad tracks and surrounding fields.
“This is a tragic event and a reminder to all of us to exercise extreme caution when driving in agricultural rural areas, especially at uncontrolled railroad crossings,” the California Highway Patrol said in a statement.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing.
Highway 1 was closed for cleanup but has since reopened.
This section of Highway 1 south of Guadalupe is now open.@CaltransHQ https://t.co/UK5gb3y2ge
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) October 2, 2025
Amtrak announced cancellations due to equipment damage and track closure on Oct. 1 and 2.
The Santa Maria Times reported 260 passengers were aboard the Amtrak train at the time of the crash. Three passengers were treated for minor injuries, the report said.
A local driver who reported being nearby when the crash occurred told KSBY-TV that many places in the area don’t have barriers to warn a train is coming. The driver also said the intersection where the crash occurred is not visible to a train operator until the train comes around a corner.
Following its investigation of a 2022 crash in Missouri involving an Amtrak train and a dump truck, the National Transportation Safety Board said, “At the very least, every road-rail intersection should have adequate design to ensure proper visibility so drivers can see oncoming trains.”
That crossing in Mendon, Mo., has been closed since that Amtrak crash. The city of Chillicothe, Mo., along with Chariton County, planned to close several other passive crossings and to redesign local roads to direct traffic through active crossings. LL
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