Two killed in crash involving Amtrak train, freight train
Two people were killed in a crash involving a freight train and an Amtrak passenger train headed to Miami early Sunday in South Carolina, authorities said.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 70 people were wounded, Lexington County spokesman Harrison Cahill said.
They suffered injuries ranging from scratches to broken bones, Cahill added.
Amtrak Train 91 collided with a CSX freight train at about 2:35 a.m. in Cayce. The lead engine and some passenger cars derailed
Amtrak said in a statement.
#BREAKING: Train collision and derailment near Charleston Highway and Pine Ridge Rd. More details to come.
The train was traveling between New York and Miami, and had 139 passengers and eight crew members, it added.
All passengers were evacuated off the train Sunday morning, Cahill said.
This is the latest incident involving an Amtrak train in the past few weeks.
In December, an Amtrak train derailed near DuPont in Washington state and hurtled off an overpass onto Interstate 5, killing three people and injuring dozens. The Amtrak engineer on that train told investigators he mistook a signal and braked moments before the deadly crash, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Last week, an Amtrak train carrying members of Congress to a Republican retreat in West Virginia struck a truck near Charlottesville, Virginia. Investigators looking into the crash are focusing on the actions of the driver of a truck
No comments