CROZET, Virginia--An Amtrak passenger train carrying Republican members of the U.S. Congress from Washington to a retreat in West Virginia slammed into a garbage truck on Wednesday at a rural Virginia road crossing, killing one person on the truck, authorities said.
No serious injuries were reported among the lawmakers or their staff on the train, the U.S. Department of Transportation said. There was one death and one serious injury among those on the truck, it added.
Amtrak said two crew members and three train passengers were hospitalized with minor injuries after the crash in Crozet, Virginia. One of those, Representative Jason Lewis of Minnesota, was examined for a possible concussion.
"I'm fine compared to, tragically, the truck drivers, and thankful for the prompt action of our doctors and first responders. My thoughts are with the family of the driver who passed away," Lewis told Reuters.
The train was taking lawmakers to an annual retreat being held this year in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, just west of the Virginia state line. Amtrak said the collision occurred at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, a tiny town between the college town of Charlottesville, Virginia, and White Sulphur Springs.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor, said he and other lawmakers who are physicians tended to the injured until emergency personnel arrived.
The truck was on the tracks at a crossing when the crash occurred, Amtrak said. Video from the scene showed the battered truck afterward, with trash strewn around it.
"We were going along the Virginia countryside at pretty good speed," Senator Jeff Flake said in comments released by his office. "All of a sudden, we felt an impact and obviously heard a pretty loud noise. Most of us were thrown a bit in our seats and those of us who were standing were really thrown."
Spouses and children of some lawmakers were aboard, lawmakers said. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan was on the train, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was not, lawmakers said.
