Fiery crash between vehicle, LRT closes several roads near Whitemud Drive

LRT trains on the Valley Line came to a halt on Tuesday after a Tesla turned right on a red light and hit a train, causing a fire.

A vehicle caught fire Tuesday afternoon from a collision between it and a train on Edmonton’s Valley Line LRT, leading to several road closures on the south side near Whitemud Drive.

Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) said in a statement to CTV News Edmonton that the train and Tesla collided early in the afternoon at Whitemud Drive and 75 Street.

In a statement, police said the Tesla’s driver was turning right at 66 Street to enter the off-ramp onto eastbound Whitemud Drive when the vehicle collided with the northbound train. They said the driver of the Tesla was taken to hospital for precautionary reasons and that paramedics examined people who were on the train for injuries.

Whitemud Drive traffic was impacted for several hours, while LRT service resumed the next morning.

“The train car did derail due to the incident yesterday, so it took additional time to bring the train back to the maintenance facility. Unlike previous derailments, there was also a fire that delayed how quickly crews could access the train and begin the process of re-railing the car. Additionally, crews needed to assess if there was any damage to the track system and overhead catenary power system before restoring service,” Ryan Birch, the director of bus and security operations for ETS, told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday.

TransEd crews are still in the process of determining the extent of the damage to the rail car, he added.