Two people were killed Saturday night in Houston after their car slammed into an Amtrak train when the driver of the car tried to ram the train at a railroad crossing, police said.
The accident happened around 8 p.m. local time at Beaumont Highway and Van Hut Lane when the driver of the Chrysler 300 swerved around the crossing arms that signaled the approach of the train, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. of Harris County, which also notes that flashing red lights and a bell were activated at the crossing to indicate the train’s arrival.
Upon impact with the train, the car caught fire and the driver and passenger of the car were ejected, police said. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Two Amtrak train passengers were transported to a local hospital, according to Amtrak spokesperson Kimberly Woods.
The train, which was traveling from New Orleans to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers on board at the time of the accident, said Woods, who added that the train remained upright and intact on the tracks after the accident.
Amtrak is working with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Vehicle Crime Division to investigate the crash, according to Woods and a statement from the sheriff’s office.
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