Boston-Bound Amtrak Train Collides With Car In Virginia
WAVERLY, Va. (CBS) — A Boston-bound Amtrak train collided with a car in south central Virginia early Thursday morning.
It happened just after 6 a.m. in the town of Waverly.
The Northeast Regional train 174 was traveling from Norfolk to Boston when it slammed into a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria on the tracks.
There were 44 passengers and five crew members on board, but none of them were hurt.
Virginia State Police say the driver, Untron Drew, was rushed to a hospital in Richmond on a medical rescue flight with "non-life threatening injuries."
State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Anaya said Drew tried to drive around a crossing bar and disregarded the warning lights before his car was hit by the train, which was travelling at 79 miles per hour.
The train, which had an engine car and eight passenger cars, did not derail.
Ananya said "alcohol is a factor" in the crash and that Drew's Crown Victoria was "an old police vehicle auctioned off to a private citizen."
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