Atlanta,GA : Impact of derailed train sweeps Atlanta man "clear out of his house" on October, Thursday 5th 2017

A 45-year-old retired Marine is lucky to be alive after a derailed train smashed into the back of his home as he was sleeping early Thursday morning.

The crash happened at about 3 a.m. as the CSX train was traveling through the Hunter Hills neighborhood just west of downtown Atlanta.

Fourteen of the train's 190 rail cars somehow came off the tracks, causing at least one of the rail cars to smash into the back of Deangelo Rivers' newly remodeled home, located on Andrews Street alongside the train tracks.

Sisters Savonia Campbell and Apryl Stinson live across the street. They told CBS46 News the impact was like nothing they’d had ever experienced.

“I thought it was an earthquake," said Campbell. When I came out, I saw the train, and I could see the sparks and everything coming from the train. It was so crazy.”

Stinson called 911 when she heard Rivers yelling for help. Initially, it was so dark outside, she couldn't locate Rivers.

“I told them, ‘Send everybody because a train just went through this man’s house.’” Stinson said.

Some men who live nearby located the man inside one of the train cars. That's when they realized the impact of the train car plowing through Rivers' house had swept him "clear out of his house."

"He said, ‘Hold on,’ because he heard me and my sister’s voice, and he was butt naked," said Stinson, "so the neighbors went and got him some jeans, and they climbed in there and helped him get up out of there real quick.”

Medics rushed Rivers to the hospital. Amazingly, his only injury was to his leg.

Campbell said she's anxious to hear what caused the train to derail. But in the meantime, she's thankful Rivers survived.

“I know he believes in God," she said, "because it’s a miracle.”


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Impact of derailed train sweeps Atlanta man "clear out of his house"