A drunk driver in Cleveland leaves his Subaru Outback in the middle of moving railroad tracks

Imagine a night drive on Ohio 83, the stretch of north-south highway west of Cleveland that ends at the Lake Erie shoreline. Nothing special happens on the road. Suddenly you come to a railway crossing. Immediately something seems wrong: there is a Subaru hinterland parked on the tracks. Oddly enough, you realize that the Subaru is empty. Then you hear a distant train horn.

At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 19, a witness called Avon Lake police. They reported that the Outback was stuck on the railroad tracks, empty and stationary. Less than five minutes later, an oncoming eastbound train collided with the vehicle, sending it back onto the northbound side of Ohio 83. Fortunately, no one was injured, although the collision did temporarily close one lane for several hours.

Shortly after the accident, law enforcement officers located the driver of the car nearby. Police arrested a person on charges of drunk driving and failure to drive a vehicle. It remains unclear how the Subaru ended up on the tracks, although police suspect alcohol may have played a role.

The Subaru Outback is known for its high safety ratings, including top honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its protective structure. Strong Outback frame and advanced crashes security features are aimed at protecting passengers in most, well, “standard” collisions. However, the side impact of a train creates an enormous force that no vehicle can withstand unscathed. What a relief, then, that there were no passengers in the SUV.

Authorities reopened the northbound 83 lane later that morning.