Train Carrying Congressman Lance Crashes In Virginia

Somerset and Union County's Congressman Leonard Lance was aboard a train that crashed into a truck Wednesday en route to a GOP retreat but was not injured, his office has confirmed.

"He was on the train and is OK," Lance's spokesman John Byers said via email.

The crash happened in Albemarle County, Virginia where the train hit a tractor-trailer carrying trash causing minor injuries to those on board. One person on the truck was reportedly killed and another critically injured, authorities and media reports say.

Albemarle County Police confirmed they were responding to a train derailment. Local media outlets reported that the train crash happened west of Crozet, Virginia, about 15 miles from Charlottesville. The GOP retreat was scheduled to take place in West Virginia.

"I was not hurt," Lance confirmed in a Twitter post, which also included a photo of the front of the train.

There were no serious injuries among the congressmen or their staff, the White House said in a statement. The White House confirmed there was one fatality and one serious injury. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates.

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 train conductor and helped two people in the garbage truck who were transported to an ambulance, he wrote on Twitter.

In a statement, Amtrak said the train came in contact with another vehicle around 11:20 a.m. and there were no reported injuries to passengers or crew members.

"Local law enforcement is investigating the incident and crews are inspecting equipment for damage," Amtrak said in an emailed statement. "The train originated in Washington, D.C. Updates will be provided as new information becomes available."

Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, told The Washington Post that the garbage truck looked like it had been cut in half.

"We can see garbage strewn around and we can see the back half of the truck," Lee told the paper. "There was a feeling of an impact and you could feel we had hit something. It took us maybe a quarter mile to stop."

Rep. Bradley Byrne, a Republican from Alabama, said he himself was okay but security and doctors were on board treating injuries. Rep. Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, also tweeted about the crash and said he was okay.

NBC News reported that House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was on board the train, was not injured.

"Just learned of the crash involving the train carrying Republican Members of Congress to their retreat today," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Twitter. "Praying that all are well both on the train and off."

Patch will update this breaking news story.

PHOTO: Rep. Greg Walden, used with permission.

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