Brett Milam, and Ben Goldschmidt

Cincinnati

A Cincinnati streetcar collided with a vehicle on Third and Main streets Downtown Monday evening around 7:10 p.m., sending the driver of the vehicle to the hospital as a precaution.

The streetcar has been in testing for several months now and there have been minor brushes, but this is the "only accident of this magnitude so far," said Sallie Hilvers, spokesperson for Cincinnati Metro and the streetcar.

It is unclear what caused the accident at this time. The extent of the vehicle operator's injuries are also unclear.

The streetcar was in pre-revenue service mode, meaning there are no passengers. This would mark the fifth contact the streetcar has had with another vehicle during this testing phase, according to the figures given by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority's external affairs manager Brandy Jones.

It's a federal mandate for the streetcar operator to go to a medical facility following an accident to undergo drug and alcohol testing, Hilvers said.

Hilvers said the driver was a more "experienced streetcar operator."

Hilvers said Metro has been making an effort with videos and safety information to remind people to be careful around the streetcar, as it can't get out of the way.

"The streetcars can't get out of the way – it's not like a bus or another vehicle that can swerve if they see something happening," she said. "Allow them a little extra room... Don't try to cut them off."

The streetcar is scheduled to open Sept. 9.