Photo provided by Debbie Hodel-Wortley - Emergency responders extricating the driver from the vehicle.
On the evening of Sunday, October 27, the Chehalis Steam Train hit a local Francis man. The Lewis County emergency responders rushed to the scene of the accident at the 300 block of Spooner Rd.
The Chehalis Steam Train was backing up on the tracks and struck a vehicle driven by 69-year-old John Hodel. The intersection is equipped with a sign only. There are no lights and no crossing bar.
After the collision, aid crews had to extricate Hodel from his vehicle. Hodel's injury included a dislocated and broken hip. After several surgeries to repair his hip at Harborview in Seattle, Hodel has been transferred to one of the Centralia Rehab Centers. Currently Hodel is facing a hip replacement in one year.