8 train cars derail, crashing into Pewaukee pond

PEWAUKEE, WIS (CBS 58) -- Residents of Pewaukee were stirred by a train derailing in the early morning of Sat., March 19. 

"As the light kind of started getting brighter out here we were able to see exactly what happened," said neighbor April Hadju.

At 6:37 a.m. the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Pewaukee Fire Department responded to a report in the area of Somerset Ln. and Parkside Rd. in the City of Pewaukee.

"It was early early in the morning, woke up to a screeching metal sound, thought it was a snow plow," said Hadju.

A Canadian Pacific cargo train was traveling eastbound through the City of Pewaukee. The train was slowing to a stop when a boxcar derailed from the train tracks, causing one tanker car and seven other boxcars to derail.

That's when people like Haju heard it all happen in their back yard.

"We didn't realize it right, because we just heard emergency brakes going, we thought oh maybe a deer in the tracks, but it could really loud," said Hadju, "I sat up in bed, looked out the window saw some cars going down and then just a loud crash of metal."

The tanker car and six boxcars were empty except for one boxcar which was hauling lumber.

No injuries have been reported, no private property was discovered to have been damaged, and no hazardous material or environmental concerns have been noted.

Hadju says her and people who live nearby are going to have to wait and see how long clean up process will be.

"I'm sure they're going through their investigation right now so it'll be interesting to see how they clean it up," said Hadju.

As we write this story, tanker cars are blocking the road to homes south on Parkside Rd.

The derailment remains under investigation by Canadian Pacific Railroad.

Stay tuned to CBS 58 for additional details.