At least six people were killed Saturday night after a freight train crashed into an SUV sitting on the tracks at a railroad crossing near Tampa, Fla. Photo courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Sept. 24 (UPI) — At least six people were killed Saturday night after a freight train crashed into an SUV sitting on the tracks at a railroad crossing near Tampa, Fla.
Three adults and two children were found dead at the scene by responding deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, according to a news release.
Another two people were taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Officials said in a news conference broadcast by the sheriff’s office that witnesses honked their horns to get the driver’s attention at the crossing.
“You can imagine the carnage that was created when these two collide,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the news conference.
“The SUV as you can see from the video begins to catapult and flip violently several times before it lands a distance from this crossing.”
One of the victims taken to the hospital died Sunday while the other remained in critical condition, ABC News reported.
The victims have been identified as Jose G. Hernandez, 52, who was driving; Enedelia Hernandez, 51; Jakub A. Lopez, 17; Alyssa Hernandez, 17; Anaelia Hernandez, 22; and Julian Hernandez, 9.
The victims were believed to be members of a local Hispanic family from Plant City who were in the area for a quinceañera, according to Chronister.
“The exact dynamic between and the relations between all seven of the individuals that are in this car we’re still working through, but I believe tonight Hillsborough County lost one of its families,” Chronister told reporters at the scene.
The accident happened in Hillsborough County at the intersection of U.S. 92 and Jim Lefler Circle.
Emergency responders cut through the wreckage with the Jaws of Life to rescue the driver and front seat passenger, while the five who immediately died were all ejected from the vehicle upon impact.
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