HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Two children were killed and a third is in the hospital after a train crashed into a minivan that tried to bypass the safety gates in Henry County.
Security video shows the horrific crash Sunday night. The railroad crossing lights were flashing and the safety gates were down when the dark-colored van approached the crossing and drove around the gates.
As it crossed the track, a freight train slammed into the vehicle.
According to a family relative, two children, Katriona Pinsky, 15 and her brother Hugh Pinsky, 12, died from their injuries. A 9-year-old child remains hospitalized. Their father, who was behind the wheel of the vehicle, suffered minor injuries.
“I knew something bad had happened,” said James Brooks who lives near the tracks.
Brooks says he saw the commotion soon after the collision.
“I counted six fire trucks, 11 ambulances, 11 police cars,” he said.
Brooks said the freight train, with a locomotive towing 23 empty cars, pushed the van about a quarter mile down the track. He rushed over to see what happened and says the vehicle was badly damaged.
'It was a black car and it was just crushed into a ball,” he said.
Norfolk Southern told Channel 2’s Tom Regan the headlight of the freight train was on and the train was sounding its horn as it approached the crossing. An official said the engineer applied brakes prior to the collision.
Brooks says his heart goes out to the family and their loved ones.
“It's terrible anytime a life is lost,” he said.
Brooks says he has seen many people drive around the crossing gates.
“All the time when the train is coming because you can see far in both directions,” he said.
Norfolk Southern says railroad crossing crashes have gone up in the past couple years.
About every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train and annually about 900 people are injured and 270 killed in grade-crossing incidents.
The railroad company says it can take a mile for a freight train to stop.
Norfolk Southern is heading the investigation into the train collision. At this time they have not released the names of the family members involved.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for the family if you'd like to help: http://2wsb.tv/1LLUHZ2
WSBTV
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