MYNORTHWEST NEWS

‘Like in the movies’: Monroe driver rescued moments before train crash

Feb 15, 2025, 7:04 AM | Updated: 7:05 am

a person standing in the middle of a road with a red light in Monroe...

‘Like in the movies’: Monroe driver rescued moments before train crash. (KIRO 7)

(KIRO 7)

A driver in Monroe escapes with just seconds to spare when a freight train slams into their car.

“It happened really fast. Really, really fast,” said witness Sean Allen.

Allen caught the crash on camera while he was heading home from work on Thursday.

In the video, a woman’s front tire is seen stuck on the tracks. Allen says another driver was helping her try to push it back.

“I walked over and he was trying to get her out of the car,” he explained. “And then suddenly, he looked up and he said, ‘There’s a train coming!’”

Allen says the other driver was able to physically help get her away from the car just in time.

He said he only started filming once he knew the man and woman were a safe distance away from the tracks.

“The train honked and then we saw that big bright light. It was really crazy. It was like in the movies,” he said.

Grateful for good Samaritan

The woman is seen going back towards her car again after a few seconds. The train came to a full stop soon after.

Allen says there was a lot going on and no time to process it.

“It’s the speed of the train is deceptive,” he said. “It looked like it was a half mile away and then it was just. It was right there. Suddenly, you know, bam.”

He’s grateful for the good Samaritan’s quick thinking in the moment.

“ I think he was the real hero. It’s easy for me to stand there and say, ‘Hey, you should really get out of the car.’ But he was kind of physically trying to get her out.”

Thankfully, no one was hurt.

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‘Like in the movies’: Monroe driver rescued moments before train crash