Security video shows SMART train, truck crash near Santa Rosa

Surveillance video from a business in southwest Santa Rosa shows the moment last Thursday when a box truck barreled through lowered crossing arms into the path of an oncoming SMART train, which smashes into the rear of the truck, spreading debris along hundreds of yards of rail track.

It is the first real-time footage of a violent crash that badly injured the furniture truck driver, Detlev Ihlenfeld, 68, and stunned many of the more than four dozen passengers and crew members aboard. Some passengers were lifted out of their seats by the collision, on the tracks parallel to Moorland Avenue at its intersection with Todd Road.

The video, shot from a security camera on a Ghilotti Construction Co. building at

238 Todd Road, was posted online Sunday to the image-sharing website gfycat.com. By Tuesday, it had garnered nearly 300,000 views.

“I thought it was an earthquake,” said Mark Teal, Ghilotti's information technology support specialist.

The whole building shook from the crash, Teal said. A co-worker shouted it was a train crash, so several Ghilotti employees ran outside in the immediate aftermath, where they came across piles of debris and

Ihlenfeld, who was aided by bystanders before EMT workers arrived.

Teal went back inside to check the security camera. “I wanted to see what happened,” he said.

About 10 to 15 minutes after the crash, he had the footage uploaded to a USB drive and handed it to the CHP.

Teal said he didn't share the video online.

It appeared the footage posted online was the same video Teal turned in to the CHP. However, a monitor was visible on the online video.

Ihlenfeld was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, authorities said. He told CHP investigators last week he had no memory of the crash.

None of the 47 passengers or three crew members aboard the train were injured in the crash, according to the CHP.

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit Police Chief Jennifer Welch said information about the engineer would not be released, and referred questions about the train's speed to the CHP.

CHP Officer Jon Sloat said the agency doesn't have the expertise to accurately determine train speed. Last week he initially estimated the train was traveling at least 50 mph, but after viewing the video he said it “could be faster than that.”

“I have viewed the video circulating and it clearly depicts the grade crossing warning devices functioning with gate arms fully horizontal,” Welch said. “From this video it does not appear the truck driver had any regard for the warning devices or made any attempt to stop.”

Ihlenfeld could not be reached for comment.

The heavily damaged lead train car is still being assessed for repair costs, Welch said.

You can reach Staff Writer Susan Minichiello at 707-521-5216.

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You can reach Staff Writer Susan Minichiello at 707-521-5216 or susan.minichiello@pressdemocrat.com.