Authorities say three adults and two children were murdered after their SUV was hit by a freight train at an unsecured crossing in central Florida. Two more adults have been admitted to the hospital with potentially fatal injuries.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, just before 7 p.m. Saturday, a Cadillac Escalade crossed the rails into the path of a train traveling at 55 mph (88 kph). There are no gates or warning bells at the crossing; instead, there is a stop sign and a railroad crossing sign.
According to officials, both the train’s engineer and a neighboring car blasted their horns, and the engineer attempted to stop but it was too late. The impact flipped the SUV multiple times, ejecting the five victims.
Sheriff Chad Chronister told reporters that the SUV resembled “a crushed soft drink can.” He stated that it is unknown why the SUV went into the path of the railway.
