A commuter train slammed into a car at a crossing in front of the University of Southern California on Saturday, seriously injuring the driver and the train operator. Nineteen passengers on the train suffered lesser injuries.
The train was heading east toward downtown shortly before 11 a.m. when, authorities said, the driver of the car tried to turn left across the tracks onto a major thoroughfare.
The silver Hyundai was all but demolished, and the driver was listed in extremely critical condition. The first two of the train's four cars slightly derailed but remained upright.
Nineteen passengers on the train suffered lesser injuries, mainly cuts and bruises, and were all able to walk off the train on their own, an official said. Eight were taken to hospitals, and the others were released. - AP