Amtrak Train With Indiana Reps, GOP Lawmakers Hits Truck: 1 Dead

An Amtrak train carrying dozens of GOP lawmakers, including four from Indiana - Rep. Jim Banks, Rep. Rep. Susan Brooks, Larry Bucshon and Rep. Todd Young - hit a tractor trailor truck near Charlottesville, Virginia on Wednesday while headed to a Republican retreat, ABC News reports. According to several media reports and authorities, the crash caused minor injuries on board and reportedly killed one person on the truck and critically injuring another.

There were no serious injuries among Congressman or their staff, the White House said in a statement. Amtrak said two crew members and two passengers suffered minor injuries. The White House said President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates.

Bucshon aide Andrew Hansen told the Tribune-Star the congressman, who happens to be a heart surgeon, was not injured in the crash, but has been assisting at the scene.

This morning, Rep. Banks, R-Indiana, tweeted: Amanda and I are on the train carrying GOP members to our annual retreat that just had an accident. We are okay, but please join us in praying for those injured and their families.

Rep. Brooks also tweeted, and possibly alluded to Bucshon: "Me & my Chief of Staff, Megan Savage, are okay. Prayers for those who were injured & those who have suffered any injury on the train. So grateful for the doctors in Congress who are helping as we speak."

The train crash happened west of Crozet, Virginia, about 15 miles from Charlottesville. The GOP retreat was scheduled to take place at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The annual event is scheduled to last three days and feature speeches from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Ed O'Keefe, a reporter for The Washington Post, said he spoke to Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake who told him one person was killed. Flake and other lawmakers reportedly helped carry one of the injured passengers to an ambulance.

Rep. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas who is also a doctor, performed CPR on the garbage truck driver and helped two people in the garbage truck who were transported to an ambulance, he wrote on Twitter.

NBC News reported that House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was on board the train, was not injured.
"Today's incident was a terrible tragedy," Ryan said in a statement on Twitter. "We are grateful for the first responders who rushed to the scene and we pray for the victims and their families. May they all be in our thoughts right now."

Patch has compiled a list of GOP representatives on board the train. We will update this list as we hear of more members of Congress who were on board.

1. Kansas Rep Roger Marshall
2. Alabama Rep. Bradley Byrne
3. Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe
4. Florida Rep. Daniel Webster
5. Florida Rep. Chris Curbelo
6. New York Rep. Dan Donovan
7. New York Rep. Lee Zeldin
8. Texas Rep. Michael. Burgess
9. Ohio Rep. Rep. Brad Wenstrup
10. Texas Rep Michael Williams
11. Texas Rep. Pete Sessions
12. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
13. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy
14. Oregon Rep. Greg Walden
15. California Rep. Jeff Denham
16. Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
17. Florida Rep. Ted Yoho
18. Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy
19. Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman
20. Wisconsin Paul Ryan
21. Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt
22. Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole
23. Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
24. New York Rep. John Faso
25. MIssouri Rep. Vicky Hartzler
26. Georgia Rep. Rick Allen
27. Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter
28. Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson
29. Georgia Rep. Jody Hice
30. Georgia Rep. Austin Scott
31. Illinois Rep Mike Bost
32. New Jersey Rep. Leonard Lance
33. Indiana Rep. Jim Banks
34. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake
35. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman
36. Texas Rep. Michael McCaul
37. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon
38. Illinois Rep. Randy Hultgren
39. Illinois Rep. Peter Roskam
40. Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman
41. North Carolina Rep. Robert Pittenger
42. Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry
43. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis
44. North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson
45. Indiana Rep. Larry Bucshon
46. Indiana Rep. Susan Brooks
47. Indiana Rep. Todd Young
48. Kentucky Rep. James Comer
49. Pennsylvania Rep. Keith Rothfus
50. New Jersey Rep. Tom MacArthur
51. Minnesota Rep. Jason Lewis
52. Arizona Rep. Martha McSally
53. Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar
54. Arizona Rep. Dave Schweikert

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to the scene of the crash.

The crash happened just a day after Trump delivered his first State of the Union speech, addressing a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill. Republicans were headed to the party retreat where they will focus on the upcoming midterm election, according to a schedule obtained by Politico.

Virginia State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Amanda and I are on the train carrying GOP members to our annual retreat that just had an accident. We are okay, but please join us in praying for those injured and their families.
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) January 31, 2018

Me & my Chief of Staff, Megan Savage, are okay. Prayers for those who were injured & those who have suffered any injury on the train. So grateful for the doctors in Congress who are helping as we speak.
— Susan W. Brooks (@SusanWBrooks) January 31, 2018

I am on the train in Virginia and okay. It does not appear that there were serious injuries on the train. Please pray for those in the vehicle that was struck.
— Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) January 31, 2018

For more statements and details: Across Virginia Patch - Amtrak Train With GOP Members Crashes In Virginia; 1 Dead

Patch will continue to update this breaking news story as information comes in.

Patch staff Dan Hampton and Colin Miner also contributed reporting.

Photo credit: Courtesy Rep. Greg Walden