3 dead in Florida after car crashes into Amtrak train, authorities say
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
INDIANTOWN, Fla. - Three people were reported dead in Florida after a vehicle crashed into an Amtrak passenger train traveling from Miami to New York on Saturday night, authorities said.
The vehicle involved in the crash was heavily damaged and its occupants were killed. None of the train’s 200 passengers were injured or killed, according to authorities.
A woman and two children who were going camping died when their SUV was struck by the train near the Corbett Wildlife Area, according to the Palm Beach Post. Camping gear and the Subaru's bumpers were strewn along the side of the tracks when first responders arrived.
The crash occurred around 2 p.m. Saturday in Indiantown, which is about 38 miles north of West Palm Beach. The impact of the train pushed the SUV about a half mile before it came to a stop.
The railroad crossing had no gate and the tracks were just about 25 yards from the turn off the highway. There were two railroad markers and a yield sign, but brush had overgrown to shield them from visibility for drivers entering Corbett, according to the Palm Beach Post.
Earl Megonigal, a check station operator at the wildlife management area, said previous crashes with trains at the Corbett crossing have prompted calls for safety measures.
“Everybody has been saying for years we need some sort of crossing gate,” he told the outlet.” It’s dangerous there. Trains come flying by. ”
Amtrak’s Silver Star 92 resumed service around 8 p.m., running approximately six hours behind schedule.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said local officials are investigating.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.