Train catapults stolen car into home after driver gets stuck on tracks, Florida cops say
.jpeg "No one inside the home was injured, police said. However, “the explosive sound of a driverless car smashing into the side of their home was clearly jolting.”")
A car theft spiraled out of control over the weekend in Florida, resulting in a “train vs vehicle vs house” scenario, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
One man was arrested; one car was destroyed; one train was damaged; and one home is in need of a new exterior wall.
It began when 38-year-old Bradford Weitzel of Port St. Lucie couldn’t find his car after leaving a bar early Saturday, Feb. 5, according to a news release from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The county is along the state’s Treasure Coast, about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach.
Weitzel decided to steal a car “in a good faith effort” to search for his own vehicle, officials said.
“He said he somehow ended up on the train tracks along Indian River Drive. That’s when Weitzel claims the vehicle he stole suddenly stopped dead on the tracks as a train was coming,” officials said.
“He said he got out and ran, leaving the car on the tracks. Within seconds, the train hit the car, catapulting it into a nearby home where the homeowners were sound asleep.”
The crumpled vehicle landed with its rear end against an exterior wall of the home, photos show.
No one inside the home was injured, police said. However, “the explosive sound of a driverless car smashing into the side of their home was clearly jolting.”
Weitzel kept running and found himself at a neighborhood fruit stand “where he vandalized the business then tried to steal a forklift,” deputies said. Specific details of what happened at the fruit stand were not released.
“In the end, Weitzel said he thought it was best to flag down the responding deputies to let them know he was still looking for his car,” officials said.
Weitzel was arrested on charges of “grand theft and criminal mischief,” officials said.
“Additional charges are expected.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Train catapults stolen car into home after driver gets stuck on tracks, Florida cops say."