A small plane crashed on train tracks in Los Angeles at 2:10 pm on Sunday. Police arrived just moments later and, heroically, removed the injured pilot in record speed. Seconds after clearing the plane, at 2:15, a train barreled into the plane, shattering it to pieces.
The plane crashed just after takeoff from Whiteman Airport in the San Fernando Valley. Fortunately, nobody besides the pilot was on board.
From ABC:
The plane had landed on the tracks at a railroad crossing just blocks from the LAPD's Foothills Division station, and officers were on the scene almost immediately.
CBSN Los Angeles said four officers managed to extricate the pilot and drag him onto the pavement. The station identified them as Damien Castro, Christopher Aboyte, Robert Sherock and Sgt. Joseph Cavestany.
"I had requested Metrolink to cease all train activity, but apparently that didn't happen," Cavestany said.
The pilot was taken to the hospital, and his condition is unknown.
Caught in two videos from different angles (see below). Warning: the second video, showing the badly injured pilot, is a little graphic.
