The off-duty deputy ran in front of the train to save the child from the tracks

REDLANDS, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – An off-duty California deputy risked his life to save a child as a train sped toward a car stuck on railroad tracks. Dramatic moments were recorded on video.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Castaneda made a split-second decision to run in front of a moving train to save the life of a child on a rural road in Redlands. Cellphone video shows Castaneda holding the child as the train approaches dangerously.

“I knew something was happening and something had to be done quickly,” the MP said.

Castaneda was off duty at the time of the September incident and was returning home from work. He was behind a car at the railroad crossing when the gate began to close.

“What was going on really set off a rapid-fire process in my mind, especially when I saw the car trying to swerve off the road and ended up stuck in the gravel,” Castaneda said. he said.

While the driver was stuck on the tracks, he did not flee the oncoming train but instead returned to the car, according to Castaneda.

“At that moment, I realized very quickly that there was probably a child there or another passenger in the vehicle and that the train was actually approaching,” the deputy said.

The mother laid one of her children on the ground and got back into the car for the second child. Meanwhile, the train was approaching.

“As soon as I put the child down, I heard the horn honking and to me it was the start of a race. “I started running to get that kid out of there,” Castaneda said. “Time slowed down, but it took seconds.”

That’s when the video begins, showing the sheriff’s deputy picking up the child and running. The mother ran in the opposite direction, holding her other child in her arms.

“I think this is the perfect timing for me to go somewhere,” Castaneda said.

As a former Marine, the deputy says he doesn’t question what he will do.

“What I’ve done in the past for what I’ve done is just help people,” he said.

Kastaneda later honored He was awarded the Distinguished Courage Award for saving the child. The sheriff’s department described him as “a true example of courage and commitment to our community.”

Despite the story’s positive ending, Castaneda says it’s also a reminder that you should never cross train tracks unless you know you can get to the other side safely.

“Don’t start moving over the tracks when there is no more room on the other side of the tracks,” he said.

When seconds are counted and choices are made, it’s easy to see how this could have turned out differently.

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