Multiple people have died and a minimum of 50 were injured after an Amtrak train went off track in Missouri. This information is from the superintendent of Chariton County Ambulance Services, Eric McKenzie.
The train company said the Amtrak had a run-in with a dump truck at a crossing close to Mendon, Missouri, at approximately 1:42 p.m. CT.
Eight train cars and two locomotives went off the track after the accident with the truck as the truck was blocking a public crossing, according to officials with the train company. They had also said that there were about 243 riders and 12 crew members on the train.
A hospital spokesperson said that three individuals are being transported to the University Hospital in Columbia. Their condition is unknown.
Passengers Train Experience
A passenger in a sleeper car, Robert Nightingale, explained that he was napping when he heard something. He also said that it all happened in what seemed like slow motion, the train car started to rock and flicker. Then dust was in his window. The vehicle fell onto the side his sleeper car was on
Nightingale was not injured, however, he could not get out the window as it was blocked with dirt. He then grabbed his backpack before climbing into the hallway. Finally, he moved into the next room where he discovered a way to get out onto the train’s side.
He said that some individuals helped others get to the ground where they went to the front of the train. Nightingale explained that the dump truck seemed like it had boulders inside of it. “It hit something major to cause … every car to go off,” he stated.
Where The Amtrak Was Going
The train was traveling from Los Angeles, California to Chicago, Illinois. The derailment occurred in Mendon, which is approximately 100 miles from Kansas City.
This incident was the second in two days where an Amtrak train collided with a passenger vehicle. On Sunday, an incident took place in rural California where a collision with a vehicle took place. There were 85 passengers on board. Three people died and two were severely injured. All of the victims were in the passenger vehicle.
Written by Marrissa Kay
Sources:
CNN News: At least 50 injured and multiple people killed when Amtrak train derails in Missouri after hitting dump truck; by Steve Almasy, David Williams, and Pete Muntean
NBC5 Chicago: Chicago-Bound Amtrak Trains Derails in Missouri; Injuries Reported
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Mike Knell’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Shkumbin Saneja’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
