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| The crash killed one person and injured more than 60 others, according to emergency services officials |
Twenty-three frequent were injured, six critically, in the rail crossing accident with U.S. Route 250 atop Cheat Mountain, almost 160 miles east of Charleston, officials thought. The accident occurred all through prime leaf-watching season in the forcefully wooded eastern part of the state.
Randolph County Sheriff commemorate Brady thought two of the train's passenger cars flipped on their sides bearing in mind force by the side of a rail crossing on a mountain highway, the log truck was a "total loss" and the truck driver who was single-handedly in his vehicle was pronounced departed by the side of the position.
Big, bodyguard logs lay piled almost a location anywhere at the outset responders aided shaken passengers to disembark from their scenic train ride.
"The railroad crossing signals were flashing by the side of the location. When all emergency personnel at home, we pragmatic the signals flashing by the side of the instant," Brady thought in an audiotaped news consultation held with sickbay officials who emailed the audio recording to The Associated Press.
"At this juncture of the investigation, it appears so as to the log truck had run through the crossing signals and struck the passenger cars of the train," Brady added in the recorded statement provided to AP by Davis Memorial Hospital spokesperson Tracy Fath.
She fixed the injury unreserved bearing in mind all passengers and crew were taken to so as to sickbay in Elkins, several miles distant from the collision position.
Brady didn't return calls without delay to The Associated Press seeking comment Friday twilight almost the accident, which he thought involved a train of The Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad.
The Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad operates several trains in the area, counting the Cheat Mountain Salamander so as to runs Tuesdays through Saturdays in October on a 6.5-hour trip up. The railroad thought nearby were three passenger cars Friday on the 88-mile roundtrip so as to gone Elkins on a route taking passengers to elevations of more than 4,000 feet.
The train travels almost 25 mph alongside a boulder-strewn stream, crossing a association barely wider than the train, flat through an 1,800-foot tunnel and afterward surface an abandoned rail association.
A railroad executive did not without delay return calls in support of comment.
"Our view and prayers are with all individuals involved and the emergency responders working the tragic accident in Randolph County this afternoon," Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin thought in a statement.
Tomblin spokesperson Amy Shuler Goodwin thought state Department of Environmental Protection crews were sent to the position to help clean up a big fuel spill. Goodwin thought she didn't know if the spill came from the truck or the train.
Six of the injured were hospitalized in serious condition and two in calm condition, she thought of the 23 frequent treated to begin with in support of injuries. She did not elaborate on their injuries but thought four of individuals who had to be hospitalized were transferred to a Morgantown sickbay while three remained in Davis Memorial.
Fath plus thought 42 others taken from the train by a prepare motor vehicle to the sickbay were soon found to be unharmed, despite before time accounts by single formal stating dozens of individuals were held to allow suffered less significant injuries.
She thought individuals who weren't hurt expected "comfort care" beforehand leaving the sickbay.
Authorities thought the accident position is a rail crossing on U.S. Route 250 by the side of a association on Cheat Mountain. There, the overturned passenger cars lay beside the tracks, roped inedible with yellow crime location tape as control, firefighters and others looked on hours next.
The accident before time Friday afternoon gone the route indefinitely stopped in the area as trafficked backed up nearby.
Randolph County emergency services director Jim astute, the at the outset to confirm nearby was a fatality, thought he knew of nix prior accident by the side of so as to crossing in up to date remembrance. He thought the accident came on an dull but emblematic, fresh fall sunlight hours on a mountain tract alight with fall color.
"It was a pretty fine force," astute told AP. "The tracks truly set out across U.S. 250 nearby, straight on top of the mountain."
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