Amtrak Train Scheduled For Stop In Philly Collides With Truck In North Carolina
ROANOKE RAPIDS, N.C. (CBS/AP) -- An Amtrak train hit a tractor-trailer that stalled on railroad tracks in North Carolina, toppling the engine onto its side and injuring at least 40 people, officials said Monday.
We continue to monitor the situation in NC. Our concerns are with passengers & crew. Additional information here. pic.twitter.com/WcVLT8xEAC
— Amtrak (@Amtrak) March 9, 2015
Halifax County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Bruce Temple said the accident happened around noon in the town of Halifax.
The first two cars of the train derailed after the collision, Temple said. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said in a news release that the other car that derailed was a baggage car.
Amtrak says 212 passengers and eight crew members were on board.
At least 40 people were hurt, though the transportation agency said the injuries were minor.
Sheriff's Major Scott Hall said from the crash scene that some passengers were taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but others were able to climb aboard a shuttle bus to be taken for examination.
The Amtrak train was the Carolinian, which runs between Charlotte, North Carolina, and New York each day. It was headed north to New York City at the time of the crash. The train was scheduled to make a stop in Philadelphia shortly after 7 p.m. Monday.
CBS 3 Eyewitness News spoke to one of the passengers on the train on the phone.
"I didn't feel it immediately. I felt it after I sat down for a little bit," said Lenora Travis.
"Everybody was just, you know, just shocked," said Travis.
Back at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Eyewitness News spoke to passengers who left for Florida in the morning, but had to turn around in Washington, D.C. tonight because of the derailment in North Carolina.
"Except for the mercy of God, it could have been me. I could have been on that train," said Varrii Coates-Bey.
"We're doing everything that we can as far as service recovery, trying to get them refunded," said Amtrak Station Manager Linda Thornton.
Authorities in North Carolina expect to work through the night, and have the rails cleared by tomorrow.
"It's such a blessing that no one lost their lives," said Travis.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten)