An off-duty police officer rescued a child from a vehicle in the path of an oncoming train in Southern California.
Video shows a person seen rushing towards an SUV stuck in the path of an oncoming train released Posted by @MorenoValleyMatters2024 on Instagram in September. The person then grabbed what appeared to be a child from the car and jumped out of harm’s way. Another figure was seen running away from the train just before the train hit it and dragged it onto the tracks.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBSD) identified the rescuer as Deputy Sheriff Michael Castaneda, who was off-duty at the time. The incident occurred at a railroad crossing in rural Redlands, about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. According to Go to CBS News. (RELATED: ‘Thank you for saving me’: Body camera video shows police rescuing children less than a minute before fire consumed room)
Castaneda told the outlet that he was behind the car when it became stuck in the gravel as the crossing gates began to close.
“I knew something was going on and something needed to be done.”[ed] It should be finished soon,” he said.
An off-duty police officer said he saw the driver of the vehicle, a woman, run toward the vehicle and return.
“At that moment, I immediately realized that maybe there was a child in the back or another passenger in the car,” Castaneda said. “And that train was really getting close.”
“As soon as she dropped that kid off, I heard the horn and for me that was the start of the race. I started running to get that kid out of there,” he continued, adding that for a few seconds, He added that he felt like time slowed down during the event.
The woman was able to safely remove her second child seconds before the train collided with her. (Related: Wild video of train colliding with tractor trailer and tank; driver narrowly escapes)
“I think it was perfect timing for me to be somewhere else,” Castaneda told the magazine. “Everything I do at work, everything I’ve ever done, is just to help people.”
SBSD presented Mr. Castaneda with the Valor Award, calling the heroic act “a true example of courage and dedication to our community.”
