A man suspected of drunken driving crashed into the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot last weekend in Durango while racing another driver, according to police.

The driver, Gabriel Beh, 28, of Monticello, Utah, was taken into custody and has four charges against him. According to initial reports, he apparently lost control of his truck, crashed through the depot’s gates and collided with a full-sized boxcar with enough speed to knock it off the tracks, said Cmdr. Ray Shupe with the Durango Police Department.

His passenger, Sierra Christensen, 30, also of Monticello, was seriously injured in the crash. Durango Fire Protection District transported her to Mercy Regional Medical Center. Her injuries were not critical, Shupe said.

Beh called dispatch after the crash. The person he was racing was not present at the scene.

“I don’t believe that that person stuck around,” Shupe said.

Beh was charged with vehicular assault, a Class 4 felony, driving under the influence, open container in the vehicle and engaging in a speed contest, i.e., racing.

“I don’t know if a speed estimate was done on anything, but he was moving pretty good,” Shupe said.

Beh also damaged computer equipment and an electrical box at the train depot site. Shupe said it took a crane to put the boxcar back on the tracks.

“To us, the big deal is driving under the influence. We combat that daily here. If you have anything to drink, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a vehicle,” Shupe said. “These things can turn out tragic, cost people lives and destroy families.”

smullane@durangoherald.com