ANDOVER, Mass. — There’s a large emergency response underway after a freight train and a car collided in a Merrimack Valley town on Thursday.
The crash happened just before noon in the area of Essex, School, and Railroad streets in Andover, according to the Andover Police Department.
The driver of the car, an 84-year-old woman, came out of the collision unscathed, MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said.
The driver seemingly panicked when the gates came down, Sullivan said.
“Scary, hectic,” said Jamie, one of the first on scene. “My immediate thought was, ‘Whoever is in that car didn’t make it.’”
He was at the Andover Police station around 11:30 when the call came in.
Jamie explained, “It sounded like there were sirens everywhere... They flew out of the station. I knew something was going on.”
Pallav Shah lives next to the tracks, and watched as MBTA and police crews worked the scene.
“A little concerned,” he said. “It looked very bad to be honest.”
On Facebook, Andover Public Schools said the woman was flown to a hospital from a nearby athletic facility.
Middle schooler Stella Mask said it took off outside while she was in science class.
“We were all looking out the window,” she told Boston 25 Thursday. “There were a bunch of kids talking about what could have happened.”
Her father, John Mask, and others nearby called it a dangerous railroad crossing.
“There’s five different directions coming together at once,” he explained. “So, it can be a little tricky.”
Drone video captured by a Boston 25 photographer showed a crumpled sedan resting along the side of the train tracks near Depot Pizza. Debris was also seen littering the roadway.
A sign posted at the railroad crossing read, “WARNING HIGH SPEED TRAINS DANGER.”
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Motorists were urged to stay away from the area until further notice.
In a Facebook post, the Andover Fire Department said, “There has been an accident involving a vehicle and a train at the railroad tracks on Essex Street. Please avoid the area.”
The MBTA Commuter Rail warned riders that Haverhill Line trains were terminated and delayed due to police activity on the right of way.
Shuttle buses were accommodating passengers with transport to Lawrence to connect with the line’s outbound service.
This incident was the fourth reported train-related crash at the crossing since 2016. In 2023, an 85-year-old woman was killed by an Amtrak train near the same intersection.
Andover Town Manager told Boston 25 on Thursday:
“Improving safety along the Essex Street corridor is a major priority of the Town. We completed a corridor study and design for significant safety improvements throughout the corridor and have received a $3.3 million MassWorks grant to complete the project. At this point, we need final approval from the MBTA in order to proceed. The Town is prepared to begin construction in the spring providing we have approvals in the place.”
An investigation involving Transit police detectives is active and ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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