Car struck by train, but no driver found

by Sarah See

A car was struck Tuesday night by a train in Andover, but no driver was found, the Anoka County Sheriff's Department said.

A vehicle driving on the railroad tracks was reported around 9:20 p.m. near 181st Avenue Northwest and Tamarack Street Northwest, authorities said.

An unoccupied vehicle was found hit by a northbound train and pushed about a quarter-mile south when they arrived, deputies said.

Authorities searched for the car's registered owner, a 28-year-old Oak Grove man, who was nowhere around, according to the Pioneer Press.

Physical evidence indicated that the vehicle was occupied during the collision, the Sheriff's Office said to CBS Minnesota.

No blood or other DNA evidence was left behind, so it is believed the driver got out of the car before it was hit, Cmdr. Paul Sommer, a Sheriff's Office spokesman, said.

An extensive ground search was conducted by deputies, the Andover Fire Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and several other Anoka County agencies, the Pioneer Press said.