May 18 (UPI) — An Amtrak train struck a vehicle Friday in upstate New York, killing three people.
The North Tonawanda Police Department in a post on Facebook said the train hit a Dodge pickup truck at 7:56 p.m. EDT.
The investigation is ongoing , and police did not specify how the crash happened.
An Amtrak spokesperson told CBS News that the train was traveling northbound from New York to Niagara Falls when it struck the vehicle, which was obstructing the track.
“There have been no reported injuries to the 21 passengers or crew onboard. Amtrak is working with local law enforcement to investigate the incident,” spokesperson said.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene around 8 p.m. Police said the truck’s occupants, a 69-year-old man, a 66-year-old woman and a 6-year-old boy, were pronounced dead on the scene.
The Federal Railroad Administration said crossing incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in the United States. There were 248 recorded deaths in 2023 and 274 in 2022, according to the agency.