A 16-year-old driver and his 12-year-old passenger were injured Tuesday afternoon after their car collided with a Union Pacific train at a rural railroad crossing northeast of Lakota, Iowa. The crash happened around 3:53 p.m. on 190th Avenue, about a quarter mile south of Highway 9. According to the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, the 2004 Chevy Impala struck an eastbound train at the crossing. A passing motorist, Alex Horak of Lakota, witnessed the crash, called 911, and pulled both boys from the vehicle before it caught fire. The car quickly became fully engulfed in flames just feet from railcars carrying ethanol. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, while EMS crews treated the victims. The 16-year-old was airlifted to Rochester and the 12-year-old was transported to Algona before being flown to Rochester. Both suffered head and upper-body injuries and were reported to be receiving treatment at St. Mary’s Hospital. Multiple emergency agencies responded to the scene, and the crash remains under investigation by the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office.
