AMES — An early-morning train collision in Iowa left a pedestrian with critical injuries Wednesday after emergency crews rushed to a railroad crossing in Ames.
Ames police officers were called to the Clark Avenue railroad crossing at approximately 5:11 a.m. on September 30 after receiving a report that a pedestrian had been struck by a train.
Mary Greeley Medical Center paramedics said emergency crews found the patient suffering from critical injuries that required significant medical intervention at the scene.
The patient was stabilized before being transported by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where authorities said the person was taken for continued treatment at a higher-level trauma center.
Police initially described the injuries as serious. Mary Greeley Paramedics characterized them as critical.
The victim’s name has not been released as authorities work to confirm the person’s identity and notify family members.
Investigators have not yet disclosed how the pedestrian came to be in the path of the train or released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The incident remains under investigation by the Ames Police Department.
The collision is another serious Iowa railroad incident during 2026.
In July, two Northern Iowa boys were seriously injured when their car collided with a freight train near Lakota and burst into flames. That story is available here:
Northern Iowa teens pulled from burning car after train collision near Lakota
Another deadly collision occurred in June near Victor when a semi-truck and an Iowa Interstate Railroad train collided, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring several others:
Teen killed, Missouri truck driver hurt after semi collides with train in Iowa
More recently, NorthIowaToday.com reported on a construction truck that struck a train at a Charles City railroad crossing:
Construction truck rams train in Charles City; driver had just resolved Mason City traffic case
Anyone with information about Wednesday’s Ames collision may contact the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5133. Anonymous tips may be provided through the department’s tip line at 515-239-5533 or through Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa.