Florida: Local media reported Sunday at least six people lost their lives and injured one after an SUV was hit by a freight train in Plant City, Florida while it was attempting to cross the railroad in Hillsborough County, local officials noted.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stated: “Four males and three females were inside the SUV.”
Local media reported that the family was heading to a quinceañera at the time of the incident.
During a news briefing, Sheriff Chad Chronister said: “The SUV, we can see from the video begins to catapult and flip violently several times before it landed a distance from this crossing.”
Officials stated that the crash happened at about 6:45pm after a Cadillac Escalade was struck at US-92 and Jim Lefler Circle by a train travelling at 55 mph.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said: “As you can imagine, the carnage that’s created when these two collide. The SUV, we can see from the video begins to catapult and flip violently several times before it’s landed.”
As the collision took place, the victims were violently ejected.
According to the details, the dead victims were identified as driver Jose G Hernandez, 52; Enedelia Hernandez, 51; Jakub A. Lopez, 17; Alyssa Hernandez, 17; Anaelia Hernandez, 22; and Julian Hernandez, 9.
Officials noted that the survivor victim was at the front, 23-year-old Guillermo E. Gama III. The sheriff’s office said he is in critical condition at Lakeland Regional Health.
Chronister said the scene was horrific to see, describing the family’s SUV as a “soft drink can that was smashed.”
“No one on the train suffered injuries in the crash,” authorities noted.
