Elderly woman critically injured when car hits railroad crossing sign

An 80-year-old woman was critically injured Saturday after the car she was riding in crashed into a railroad crossing sign in Tacoma, according to the State Patrol.

It happened about 11 a.m. on northbound state Route 509 at the Port of Tacoma.

Troopers are trying to figure out what caused the elderly man behind the wheel to lose control and if it was weather related.

There was no sign of impairment and no medical emergency, Trooper Brooke Bova said.

The driver’s injuries were not immediately known. The woman was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

This story was originally published December 2, 2017 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Elderly woman critically injured when car hits railroad crossing sign."