Train hits stolen car stuck on tracks and sends it crashing into nearby house

A Florida man said he jumped from a stolen car seconds before it was hit by a train and sent flying into a nearby home, authorities said.

The sleeping residents were unharmed and the man was later arrested, the authorities added.

Police said the man claimed he stole the car in a “good faith effort” to search for his own vehicle after leaving a bar in Martin County, around 50 miles north of West Palm Beach.

After the crash, the man tried to steal a forklift from a nearby fruit stand, which he also vandalised, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

He was arrested after flagging down responding deputies “to let them know he was still looking for his car”, the statement said.

The homeowners were fine, but “the explosive sound of a driverless car smashing into the side of their home was clearly jolting”, the sheriff’s office said.

The 38-year-old faces charges of grand theft and criminal mischief, and additional charges are expected.

In describing the episode, the sheriff’s office said: “No title could explain this case, but the details will… well, it’s best to just read on.”