Good Samaritans pull woman from car moments before train crashes into it in Van Nuys

VAN NUYS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Witnesses say good Samaritans saved a woman's life by pulling her out of a car just moments before an Amtrak train crashed into it Friday night.

The crash happened about 9:25 p.m. near the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Hayvenhurst Avenue, and police said two people have been taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

One of the apparent good Samaritans, Stefan Zeljkvoic, said he and a companion saw the driver apparently losing consciousness before crashing into a post near the tracks.

"We're driving down Woodley right here and noticed a driver impaired, looking intoxicated, his head kept dropping as we were driving. We pulled next to him honking the horn to alert him. He was not understanding anything, responsive to anything," said Zeljkvoic, who was under the impression the driver was male and intoxicated.

Authorities said the driver was experiencing a medical episode and does not appear to have been intoxicated.

As the two approached the car to help, they saw a train coming.

"So we found a pipe laying on the floor, busted the window open, dragged him out of the car, this poor lady tried helping as well, and when the train hit, the whole metal piece right here came down and hit both of them in the head, and they both fell down," Zeljkvoic said.

Both were taken to the hospital in unknown condition, and no one on the train was hurt, police said.