A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy had a split second to act to save a child from an oncoming train.
“I knew there was something going on and something need to be done fast,” Deputy Michael Castaneda said.
Cell phone video shows Castanada on a rural road in Redlands picking up the child as the train comes dangerously close to them.
“As soon as she put that child down, I heard the horn and to me, that was the start of a race,” he said. “I started running to get that kid out of there.”
The railroad crossing is at Live Oak Canyon and San Timoteo. Casteneda said he was behind the car on the tracks when the gate started closing.
“It’s started to process really quick in my head, what was going on especially when I see that car try to maneuver out of the way and ended up getting stuck in the gravel,” he said.
The driver was stuck but instead of running away from the moving train, Castenada said he saw her going back into the car.