Current:Home > Invest6 dead after train barrels into SUV at Florida railroad crossing-LoTradeCoin
6 dead after train barrels into SUV at Florida railroad crossing
View Date:2024-12-24 00:08:28
Six people are dead, including three children, after a train barreled into an SUV at a Florida railroad crossing Saturday evening in what authorities are describing as a "violent" tragedy.
The seven people in the SUV were on their way to a quinceañera, a party celebrating a girl's 15th birthday, when they encountered a railroad crossing marked by a stop sign and a railroad crossing sign, but no crossing arms or warning bell in Plant City, Florida, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
"The word devastating doesn't even begin to describe the tragedy that unfolded here," Chronister said in a statement.
The victims were a man, two women and three children, and another man was injured in critical condition Sunday, officials said. They were members of a family and two friends.
Driver didn't stop at railroad crossing, video showed
Video footage reviewed by investigators showed the SUV pull up to the tracks and "slow crawl" across without stopping, Chronister said. Chronister said the train's conductor tried to slow down and blared its horn, and a witness pulled over in another vehicle nearby also honked to get the driver's attention before the crash at about 6:45 p.m.
"As you can imagine the carnage that’s created when these two collide," he said. "The SUV we can see from the video begins to catapult and flip violently several times before it's landed a distance from this crossing."
The car looked like a "soft drink can that’s been smashed" after impact, he said.
Chronister said he believes there were no crossing arms or alarms at the crossing because it was on a road in a not well-traveled area.
Who were the victims?
Five people who had been "violently ejected" from the car died, and a sixth died overnight in the hospital, the sheriff's office confirmed Sunday.
They were identified as the driver, 52-year-old Jose G. Hernandez, and passengers Enedelia Hernandez, 50; Jakub A. Lopez, 17; Alyssa Hernandez, 17; Anaelia Hernandez, 22; and Julian Hernandez, 9.
The front-seat passenger, 23-year-old Guillermo E. Gama III, survived and is hospitalized in critical condition.
Jessica Lang, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said the passengers in the car driven by Jose Hernandez included his minor children, an adult child and two friends of the children.
"Hillsborough County lost a family today, and our hearts are shattered," Chronister said Saturday.
Chronister said the people were all believed to be residents of Plant City, about 25 miles outside of Tampa in central Florida with a population of about 40,000 people.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- 'Bizarre:' Naked man arrested after found in crawl space of California woman's home
- Trump tells Jersey Shore crowd he’s being forced to endure ‘Biden show trial’ in hush money case
- Integration of Blockchain and AI: FFI Token Drives the Revolution of AI Financial Genie 4.0
- Solar storm puts on brilliant light show across the globe, but no serious problems reported
- 4 arrested in California car insurance scam: 'Clearly a human in a bear suit'
- Babies R Us to open shops inside 200 Kohl's stores in the US: See full list of stores
- WFI Tokens: Pioneering Innovation in the Financial Sector
- The Flores agreement has protected migrant children for nearly 3 decades. Changes may be coming.
- Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin’s libel claim against The New York Times
- Maya van Rossum Wants to Save the World
Ranking
- Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani wins reelection to Arizona US House seat
- Caramelo the horse rescued from a rooftop amid Brazil floods in a boost for a beleaguered nation
- How Summer House: Martha's Vineyard's Jasmine Cooper Found Support as a New Mom
- Pregnant Hailey Bieber Shares Behind-the-Scenes Photo From Her and Justin Bieber's Maternity Shoot
- Shawn Mendes quest for self-discovery is a quiet triumph: Best songs on 'Shawn' album
- Illinois man accused of shooting neighbor in her chest now facing hate-crime charge
- Israel orders new evacuations in Gaza’s last refuge of Rafah as it expands military offensive
- US says Israel’s use of US arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
Recommendation
-
Mattel says it ‘deeply’ regrets misprint on ‘Wicked’ dolls packaging that links to porn site
-
Trump trial turns to sex, bank accounts and power: Highlights from the third week of testimony
-
Roger Corman, legendary director and producer of B-movies, dies at 98
-
Aces star A'ja Wilson announces Nike contract for her own signature shoe
-
Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Frustrating Robbery Amid Ongoing Investigation
-
University apologizes after names horribly mispronounced at graduation ceremony. Here's its explanation.
-
Russia says it has captured 5 villages in northeast Ukraine as more than 1,700 civilians flee
-
1 dead after shooting inside Ohio movie theater, police say