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21 hurt as car, train collide in Los Angeles

Posted at 4:32 PM, Mar 28, 2015
and last updated 2015-03-28 18:32:23-04
By Ralph Ellis

(CNN) — Twenty-one people were injured Saturday when a commuter train collided with a car and derailed near the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles, authorities said.

The collision happened at about 10:45 a.m. near Exposition Boulevard and Watt Way when an eastbound Hyundai turned north onto the tracks as an eastbound light-rail Metro train approached, said Sgt. Michael Verlich of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“The vehicle got wedged in between a pole and the train, causing the train to dislodge,” Verlich said.

Of the 21 injured people, 10 were transported to hospitals for treatment, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department Twitter account. One was in critical condition and one in grave condition, the tweet said.

The derailment was expected to cause traffic problems for the 6:30 p.m. Saturday soccer game between Mexico and Ecuador at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum across from the USC campus.

Metro Los Angeles, the transit and transportation agency for Los Angeles County, said it has requested shuttle buses to accommodate the crowds.

The-CNN-Wire
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