1 person dead, 1 injured after vehicle hit by train
One person had died and another was injured after a vehicle was hit by a train in Durham Thursday night, according to reports from WTVD.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. near S. Driver Street and E. Peabody Street.
The Durham Fire Department told WTVD that the Amtrak train was headed eastbound when the crash happened several hundred yards from the intersection. The vehicle then caught fire and was resting against one of the rail cars.
It is not known how many passengers were on board the train at the time, and one passenger was treated for a panic attack at the scene.
According to WTVD, the driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.
ALSO READ: Train slams into tractor-trailer stuck on tracks in west Charlotte
“It’s devastating that somebody lost their life,” one Amtrak rider said. “A sibling, friend, son, daughter ... who knows?”
Firefighters told WTVD the rail car was damaged by the fire on the exterior, but the fire did not make it inside the train.
Amtrak representatives released a statement about the crash:
“On March 14, Amtrak train 76 was traveling from Charlotte to Raleigh at approximately. 8:21 p.m. when a vehicle on the track came into contact with the train in Durham. There were 68 customers onboard. Amtrak is working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident. Customers on train 76 have been provided with alternate transportation to their final destinations.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation, according to WTVD.
VIDEO: Train slams into tractor-trailer stuck on tracks in west Charlotte
