5 Teens Die in Train-Car Crash in Mich.

Amtrak Train Strikes Car at Road Crossing, Killing All Five in Sedan

(CBS/AP)  An Amtrak passenger train carrying about 170 people struck a car at a road crossing near Detroit on Thursday, killing all five people in the sedan, authorities said.

Police Sgt. Mark Gajeski says the victims were a 14-year old girl and four boys aged 17 and 18, reports CBS Radio station WWJ in Detroit.

The crossing has a gate and flashing lights that were believed to be working when the car approached, said Gajeski, a police spokesman. Based on witness accounts, police suspect the people in the sedan tried to go around the gate and were hit, he said.

"It looks like they probably did go around the arm. They went around the gate," Gajeski said.

The bodies remained in the black Ford more than three hours after the crash while the investigation was ongoing, Gajeski said. He said the train typically travels about 67 miles per hour at the site.

The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the Wayne County community of Canton Township, about 20 miles west of Detroit, said police Sgt. Craig Wilsher. Wilsher said the vehicle was heading north when it crossed the train tracks and was hit. Gajeski said the car was pushed about a mile from one road crossing to another.

The only reported medical problem among the approximately 170 people on the train was a case of a passenger with asthma, he said.

The train was headed from Detroit to Chicago, said Marc Magliari, a Chicago-based Amtrak spokesman.

"There is every indication the train crew was doing exactly what it should have been doing and that there was no malfunction of the train," he said. "They can't make vehicles, or pedestrians for that matter, heed signals."

"This is tragic for both the family of those who died and the train crew," he said.

Around 3:40 p.m., the five passenger cars and rear engine of Amtrak train 353 pulled away from the engine involved in the crash. The front engine was to remain at the scene during the investigation while the rest of the train returned to the Dearborn station.

Buses will take the passengers to the Ann Arbor station, where they will catch a later train to Chicago, Magliari said. While the passengers waited to leave, the rear engine of the train was kept running so the air conditioning and bathrooms worked.

The train - which has a front and rear engine and five passenger cars - was stopped near a landfill and a wooded area. The mangled sedan was pushed against the front of the train and investigators covered it with greenish-gray tarp.

There is a warning device with a flashing light and gates at the crossing where the crash occurred, said Rudy Husband, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern Corp., which owns the track. Husband said he couldn't say if the device was working at the time of the crash. That will be part of the investigation, he said.

Last year, 119 people died in Amtrak accidents, usually when trains struck vehicles or pedestrians at railroad crossings, according to figures from the Federal Railroad Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board hasn't yet decided whether to investigate the crash, spokesman Keith Holloway said.

"Preliminary information indicates that there was no derailment, there were no fatalities on board the Amtrak" train, he said. "We don't always investigate grade-crossing accidents."

Jennifer Talley was one of about 30 passengers waiting at the Ann Arbor station to board the train involved in the crash.

Around 12:30 p.m., when the train was supposed to pull in, "they announced there was going to be a delay and they didn't know how long it would be, and it was right after that they told us it was an accident," said Talley, 36, a librarian at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who was headed to Chicago.

The waiting passengers, including Talley, boarded another train about two hours later, she said.

[daniel061990]

You are an absolute idiot. My son did have drivers training and he was a very smart boy. He made a bad judgement call which ended up in a horrible tragedy. Everyone of those kids was live by me in a special way and I will nit tolllerate your foolishiness. Dan was the only one that had a job abd was responsible out of all of them. I beleive in Karma and you better watch yourself.......Daniel's Mom

[tropicseal]

Unbelievable... I just viewed the video and this imbecile did not even SLOW DOWN ! It should be very painful to be this stupid and moronic. In this case the consequences for this incomprehensible action was nano-second terror and immediate death. Suspended license too. The mother should be charged criminally. What is a 14 year old girl doing with an 18 year old boyfriend ? Those of us who lived in suburban Detroit know what this is all about.... Darwin wins again !
Empathy for the engineer and his family.

[santos1466]

Sad, bless them all.

[betheaton]

1st off you all whom dont have anything better to do then pass judgement on these children whom lost their lives should be deeply ashamed of yourselves. Not like any of you ever did something dangerous in your lives before. And too the families and friends of the victims my heart and prayers go out too all of you. I know how it feels too lost a child do too a horrific accident as this ........ my son was killed by an amtrak train 5 months ago. Again it was senseless and the people whom like these were cruel and hurtful without knowing the whole story. They werent the ones in the childrens shoes whom died they dont know everything and no one ever will but those whom were in that car and God himeself. Again my heart goes out too all whom loved them and my prayers and sympathy . May you all try too find peace and know they will always will be with you.

[rrozsa]

My condolences to you and your family, Beth, on your own loss.

[Newster1]

Based on witness accounts, police suspect the people in the sedan tried to go around the gate and were hit,"

Bet they won't do THAT again!

"Buses will take the passengers to the Ann Arbor station, ...the rear engine of the train was kept running so the air conditioning and bathrooms worked."

And what the hel1 do we care to read the details about the passenger's bathroom and air conditioner status??

[jhatmaker4991]

just shut up. dont' make dumb remarks like that. if that was your brother, sister, cousins. whatever. i bet you wouldn't be saying things like that. no didn't think so.

[barbaram99]

This a problem nation wide. People yakking on the phone while driving.
People using the car to multitask while driving,
Playing the music so loud the driver can't hear whats around him/her.
Teens may show off.
This is the time to teach safe driving habits so this does not have to happen.
Going by the article it is clear the young driver was not oberying the rule of the road. The saddest thing was the car mates died at the driver's hands as did the driver. The lesson is ye can never beat a train and so don't even try. Their loved do read these boards. Young people think this will not happen to them but it does. Some are risk takers. This is not cool. I told my sighted friend I do not walk the tracks. They have too many cars on the road. The article saids there was a 14 year old girl and 4 boys aged 17 and 18. In the car. Big trucks can't stop on a dime. The train is not the blame. The gate and flashing lights are there for a reason. That gate goes accross the road to stop others from crossing when they should not. Let noy beat the train.

[Maryvansaid]

seriously **** u guys.
that mad bad comment

I knew them. thats not even right?

[bajajohn1]

The kids tried to beat the Iron Horse. The Iron Horse beat the kids. How terribly bad for all involved.

[snp0824]

Why don't you express your sympathy to the families of these young people and keep your STUPID comments to yourself!

[carilovesscott]

bet they were laughing before it happened...thinking how smart they are to "beat" the train...
i'm not sure teens SHOULD be driving!!!

[jhatmaker4991]

dont bet on anything this is not a joke my friends died. and ppl like you are sure to get your karma with all this bull you guys are talking. no one truly knows what happened in the car except for those five. so don't act like you know everything cause you don't take your comments and go find better things to do with your life.

[mswolfestock]

EXACTLY, carilovesscott. Y'all need to probe your memories -- REMEMBER WHAT THEY TOLD YOU IN DRIVER'S EDUCATION CLASSES? REMEMBER WHAT THEY TOLD YOU IN DRIVER'S TRAINING CLASSES? They showed us pictures of accident victims just like these kids. They showed us pictures of incredible carnage caused by people who thought they were soooooooo smart, just like these kids. Maybe I'm here today because I remember those pictures and I'll never forget WHY they showed them to us. The message was: "If you want to be stupid and make dumb choices, this is how you will end up." Go ahead and diss me, all of you milk-sops. I refuse to feel sorry for anybody who knew better but chose to be stupid anyway.

[mejordelahistoria]

well, boys and girls, this is what happens when you fack with the train.

[barbaram99]

The gate and singal are there for a reason. Our safety. I walk. People have been told to never walk on the tracks,never go around the safety gates,NEVER BEAT A TRAIN. Ye wait for it, Wait.I was a teen years ago and I had to wait for the train go by and I was on foot. The train can not stop on a dime. I waited. The train has the right of way. The families will have to lay their kin to rest. They knew better than to beat a train. They lost. That is the truth. The cars must sit there and wait for the train. The train blows its horn. Ye wait.

[STBY21]

Wow! That really is a tragedy. The sad part is that one person made the decision (the driver) possibly urged on by his friends. It is sometimes hard to judge the speed of trains as they are moving. That is why they have the warning signals. Its unfortunate that this group didn't heed the warning signs. I hope others will learn because of this accident.

[lloydbest1]

This is from the Detroit Free Press:

"5 teens killed trying to beat Amtrak train at Canton Twp. crossing."

The article goes on to claim that witnesses saw the sedan drive around the crossing guard. So John_Merrit was right after all but as far as I'm concerned, unless he dug a little deeper his was a lucky guess.

We now have grieving parents, upset engineers and what is now going through the minds of those folks immediately behind the sedan who witnessed this mother-of-all t-bones, I can not imagine.

Those kids acted very foolishly, but stupidity shouldn't carry such a drastic penalty and my heart goes out to all of those affected. I can not count the number of times I took even more outrageous risks when I was their age - and much older. I was lucky, I guess; these kids certainly were not. I will reserve judgement and wise posters should do the same.

[rrozsa]

"Those kids acted very foolishly....."

For all we know, the four passengers begged the driver not to do it but he did it anyway. The fact that the actions of one kid cost the lives of all five is truly tragic. My heartfelt condolences to the families and the train crew. My husband worked with a truck driver who hit a woman's car broadside when she pulled out in front of him. He still dreams about watching her eyes explode as they collided. It's the sort of thing that is very difficult to get over.

[shamilton0204]

Rbslprs...Amen to what you said!

You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves! How dare you talk so flippantly over a tragedy like this. What if it were your loved ones in that car? How would you feel reading these insensitive comments while you're grieving? You people have no heart whatsoever.

[Rbslprs]

mswolfestock, i wonder why you pick and choose those to feel compassion for? Why cant it be shown towards everyone. (Some Flood victims CHOOSE to stay and risk their lives to stay with their material goods. The SURVIVORS left.) No one uses their best judgement 100% of the time, no one! I will pray for you, irreguardless of whatever jaded you.

[AttentionDeficit]

mswolfestock: as far as we know, only the driver tried to beat the train.

[Rbslprs]

It would be sad if the victims families saw some of these postings. There's nothing humorous about anyone dying esp. kids. To the person who posted re: the gene pool, I ponder the thought of why YOU are still here??? Grow up and find some compassion. Better yet go make sure your relatives are all accounted for.

[mswolfestock]

I'm still here because I learned the same lesson as retiredgustav --

IF THE SOB IS BEGGER THAN YOU STAY OUT OF ITS WAY.

BTW -- I also have plenty of compassion for folks who use their heads and don't do dumb things like trying to beat a train to the crossing. I save my compassion for flood victims and abused animals, who deserve my sympathy and support. If you keep sticking up for people who won't help themselves then it's likely you will end up like them, too.

[gommakel]

I agree Rbslprs and I seriously cannot believe what I am reading here. There has been a loss of 5 human lives, and the reason is obviously because of a mistake in judgement on someone's part. However, that does not make them stupid or of bad genes. Someone (or several someones) out there right now is suffering because of this terrible tragedy. Have some compassion! I hope that the one's writing such things in this blog never make such a terrible mistake and have a member of their family suffering as a result of it. What the heck has happened to us as a society?????

[GiveMeFreedom]

Agreed. It is sad. Worse yet maybe the 4 people in the car with the driver did not realize the driver was putting their lives at risk in this accident. Maybe the locals can use this tragic accident as a learning tool to prevent other senseless loss of life.

And do not be too hard on the posters. I think the summer heat and the general hype in our media and politicians today makes us all short tempered. I for one am tired of the victimization in society.

[retiredgustav]

One of the rules of life I learned at a very young age, If the SOB is bigger than you stay out of it's way.

[GiveMeFreedom]

I am sure it is Bush's fault.

[jrcolmena]

it could have also been Obama's fault, but it was sure one of them two.

[GiveMeFreedom]

Nothing is ever Obama's fault. You need to read this manifesto put out by Carville.

Nothing is ever the fault of democrats. Just look at CA budget issues. It always has been, is and always will be the fault of the republicans in this country.

[jhatmaker4991]

are you guys dumb. there was a tragedy and you talking nonsense that has nothing to do with it. your basically mocking their deaths. they were friends of mine show respect

[mswolfestock]

I'll never understand why this just keeps on happening, time after time. Maybe it's gene pool adjustment -- survival of the smartest and the dumb ones perish.

My condolences to the train engineer and the families of the victims.

[speakinup22]

So true. Double tragedy, between the deaths and those that will have to live them again and again.