An Amtrak 91 passenger train traveling from New York to Miami collided with a CSX freight train in Cayce near Charleston Hwy. around 2:45 a.m. Sunday, which is about 2 and a half hours south of Asheville.
The two trains were on the same track – and investigators are working to figure out why this mistake happened.
Here’s what we know so far:
- As of Sunday morning, at least 70 people are hurt and 2 are dead.
- The two deaths are reported to be the two Amtrak employees on-board.
- 116 people were taken to local hospitals, and others were taken to a middle school near the crash for food, shelter + reunification.
- Reports say no one was on the CSX train, and it appears that the Amtrak train was on the wrong track.
- 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from the trains post-crash. SCDHEC is cleaning up the material Sunday.
- S.C. Governor, Henry McMaster spoke during an emergency press conference around 10 a.m. Sunday morning at the S.C. Emergency Management Division, alongside officials from Lexington County, Amtrak and CSX.
- This is the third deadly Amtrak crash within six weeks in the U.S., following last week’s crash in Virginia and December’s crash in Washington state.
The next question is: How can we prevent this from happening again? The Gov. said this should prompt a national conversation about increased rail safety.
