WASHINGTON — An Amtrak train transporting members of Congress and staff to a Republican retreat in West Virginia struck a garbage truck near Charlottesville, Virginia on Wednesday morning, according to multiple sources. No serious injuries were reported on the train, although some passengers were hurt.
The status of the truck drivers could not be determined immediately. The truck they were operating was destroyed by the impact. Multiple GOP sources and a local TV station reported one of the drivers died in the collision.
Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told CNN one of the drivers was “deceased.”
Emergency personnel and security officials, as well as members of Congress who are physicians, were aiding passengers who were injured. Representative Roger Marshall’s office said the Kansas Republican, an OB/GYN, was among those treating passengers.
Amtrak officials confirmed the accident but could not offer information on the number or severity of injuries.
“An Amtrak train came into contact with a vehicle that was on the tracks at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virgina.,” said Kimberly Woods of Amtrak Media Relations in a statement. “There are no reported injuries to passengers or crew members. Local law enforcement is investigating the incident and crews are inspecting equipment for damage. The train originated in Washington, D.C. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available.”
GOP lawmakers and staffers said there was no collision warning.
“We’re fine, but our train hit a garbage truck. Members with medical training are assisting the drivers of the truck,” said Representative Greg Walden (R-Ore.) on Twitter.
“There was such a huge force that the momentum kept people going and some now have scrapes and bruises,” said Representative Mark Walker (R-N.C.). “Reps. Larry Buschon and Roger Marshall [are] attending to people on the train.”
Walker said one of the truck drivers was thrown from the truck and was lying on the ground. “It doesn’t look good.”
Amtrak has had a string of high-profile, deadly crashes in the past few years, including one in December in which a speeding Amtrak train derailed and toppled over a highway overpass in Washington state, killing three and injuring dozens of others. In 2014, another speeding Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia, killing eight and injuring nearly 200 others. However, in both cases the engineer at the controls appears to have been at least partially at fault due to being distracted at a critical point of the trip, not because of something fouling the track.
The GOP retreat is going ahead as planned at this time, according to Republicans on the train.