By the Daily Post staff
For the second time in three days, a Caltrain has hit a car on the tracks. And, once again, a driver is blaming a GPS navigation unit for a wrong turn.
Last night (Feb. 12) at the Charleston Road crossing in Palo Alto, a southbound Caltrain hit a car that had high-centered on the tracks, according to fire Battallion Chief Kevin McNally.
The driver got out of the car before the train hit.
The train pushed the car about 100 to 150 feet south of the crossing, in the direction of San Antonio Road. The car caught fire when it was hit by the train.
When firefighters arrived, they had to shut down Alma Street so they could hook up hoses to hydrants on the east side of the street, McNally said.
McNally said he heard that the driver was experiencing problems with his GPS navigation unit, made a wrong turn and high-centered on the tracks.
About 600 people were on the train at the time. No injuries were reported.
On Saturday night, a Caltrain hit a 1950s era Austin-Healey convertible stalled at the Fair Oaks Avenue crossing in Atherton and dragged it to the next crossing at Watkins Avenue. The driver was able to get out of the car before it was hit. That car also caught on fire.
In that crash, the driver also said he took a wrong turn and found himself on the tracks because of his GPS navigation unit.
