One injured in Collision with Train

The Marion Police Department says a man was injured when he drove around lowered gates at a railroad crossing early Monday morning.

At 4:36am, police responded to the rail crossing in the 600 block of Bellefontaine Avenue for a report of a train/vehicle accident. Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle, however the drive had apparently fled the area on foot.

Approximately an hour later, the registered owner of the vehicle, Dustin J. Padilla, 19, of Marion, arrived at Marion General Hospital’s emergency department complaining of injuries from reportedly “being jumped.”

Investigators say they learned that Padilla was the driver, and lone occupant, of the vehicle at the time of the collision with the train.

Padilla was alert and oriented while at the hospital, according to police, but was subsequently transported by MedFlight to Grant Medical Center in Columbus with possible significant internal injuries.

“Our initial findings tend to indicate that alcohol and/or drugs played a role when Padilla drove around the crossing gates while driving eastbound and was struck by the southbound Norfolk &Southern train,” stated police Lt. Mike Shade in a media release.

The case remains under investigation at this time. Once the investigation has concluded, the case will be forwarded to the law director’s office for possible charges.