FROM WRAL-TV NEWS
RALEIGH, N.C. – Authorities say two people are dead after a collision involving a dump truck and an Amtrak train.
An Amtrak train from Charlotte to New York hit a dump truck Tuesday. Multiple injuries have been reported.
The accident occurred around 12:35 p.m. Tuesday near Rush Street in Raleigh. The train, the Carolinian, was headed from Charlotte to New York when it hit a dump truck that was filled with gravel.
The collision knocked several cars off the tracks and upended the dump truck. Police said the two occupants in the dump truck died in the accident. Their names have not been released.
Officials said there were 196 passengers on the train. Fourteen people were taken to WakeMed with minor injuries.
The remaining 182 passengers from the train who were not injured were taken by bus to the Raleigh Convention and Conference Center. The passengers were transported to the convention center because the Amtrak facility in Raleigh was not large enough to accommodate the group.
The convention center staff and the American Red Cross provided water and refreshments to the passengers.
The accident is under investigation. Rush Street between Hammond and Old Garner roads is closed to traffic. Motorists are advised to avoid the area. The closure will be in effect through the afternoon commute.