Beaufort woman charged after $100K damage to train in Hardeeville

A Beaufort woman has been charged in connection with the vehicle that was left on a Hardeeville railway crossing on Church Road and struck by a train around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

The woman in her early 20s faces misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and violation of a beginner’s permit, according to a City of Hardeeville news release Sunday evening. She was charged and posted $1,224 bond on Sunday, according to online Jasper County court documents. The passenger in the vehicle at the time does not face any charges.

The driver attempted to make a U-turn on the tracks when the vehicle got stuck, according to the release. The two occupants were able to get out of the car before the train hit. A passenger on the train was taken to a local hospital after suffering an asthma attack, potentially caused by breathing in fumes from the car fire.

The southbound Amtrak train with 400 passengers was not derailed after the crash, but the Chevrolet Impala was “cut in half and ignited a fire” after it was struck, and part of the vehicle was “dragged to the industrial park crossing,” according to an earlier city news release.

The train sustained about $100,000 worth of damage, according to the release.

This story was originally published August 6, 2017 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Beaufort woman charged after $100K damage to train in Hardeeville."