Virginia Amtrak Crash: 5 Things To Know

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VA — An Amtrak train carrying Republican members of Congress to a retreat crashed into a garbage truck Wednesday in Virginia, killing truck passenger Christopher Foley, 28, and injuring the driver and other passenger. The collision left the garbage truck mangled and the passengers in serious conditions. There were minor injuries to passengers on the train, and no members of Congress of their staffers sustained serious injuries. Foley had a 1-year-old son, and the community has rallied to support his family through a GoFundMe page.

Rep. Jason Lewis of Minnesota went to the hospital to be evaluated for a concussion and was discharged. Amtrak officials said two crew members and three passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital. The crash occurred about 15 miles from Charlottesville. National Transportation Safety Board officials were on scene and are looking into why the crash happened.

Until then, here are five things to know about the crash:

1. Republicans were on the way to a retreat in West Virginia

Republican members of Congress and their staff were en route to a party retreat at The Greenbriar in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, when the crash happened. The crash happened just a day after President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union speech, addressing a joint session of Congress. Republicans were headed to the gathering, where they will focus on the upcoming midterm election. Republicans later headed to Charlottesville to board charter buses for the remainder of the trip.

2. Over 100 Republican representatives were on board

According to Patch's tally, more than 100 GOP lawmakers were on board the train. Six GOP members of Congress from Virginia — Barbara Comstock, Dave Brat, Bob Goodlatte, Tom Garrett, Scott Taylor, and Rob Wittman—have said on Twitter that they weren't on the train. There is not yet any word on whether the remaining Virginia GOP member of Congress -- Morgan Griffith -- was on the train.

Comstock, who represents parts of Northern Virginia, tweeted, "I am OK, I was driving to the Greenbrier when I heard the news. Praying for the injured."

3. Members of Congress treated the injured on scene

Lawmakers, some having medical experience, sprang into action to help the injured in the aftermath of the crash. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, of Georgia, told the Post the lawmakers "literally pried open the doors and jumped off the train to assist those injured."

Sen. Jeff Flake, of Arizona, along with Sen. Bill Cassidy, of Louisiana and his wife, and Rep. Brad Wenstrup, of Ohio, helped carry one truck passenger to an ambulance, according to The Washington Post. Rep. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas who is also a doctor, performed CPR on the truck driver and helped two people in the truck who were transported to an ambulance, he wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Neal Dunn, who had been an Army surgeon, and others grabbed any medical gear they had and ran to assist the people in the truck, the AP reported. "The first gentleman was somebody who had really, really, really devastating injuries. We did try to resuscitate, but ultimately you had to realize it wasn't possible," he said. Other doctors assisting included Reps. Michael Burgess of Texas, Phil Roe of Tennessee and Larry Bucshon of Indiana, according to the AP.

4. The crash remains under investigation

Investigators remain on scene to examine the circumstances of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board would not speculate on the cause of the crash before the investigation was complete but plans to release recommendations based on the results.

Amtrak said in a statement Wednesday night, "It is premature to offer specific comment about this incident, however, it is clear that accidents at rail crossings nationwide are far too common. This is an opportunity to remind everyone about the importance of exercising caution around railroad rights-of-way.

The NTSB said it was unlikely the part of the track where the crash happened was equipped with positive train control, or a system that automatically stops a train before an accident occurs. Rep. Jeff Denham, who was on the train and heads a House subcommittee on subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, will hold a hearing Feb. 15 addressing positive train control implementation. Amtrak, NTSB and other groups will provide updates.

The NTSB also said that if its investigators find any information to suggest the crash was intentional, they would turn over the information to the FBI.

Lawmakers detailed how the crash was sudden and jolted the train's passengers. Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma did not recall any noticeable braking before the crash. “It was quite a jolt,” Cole told the Post. “It was just, ‘bam.’”

5. The crash is comparable with other deadly crashes in Amtrak history

This was the fourth crash involving Amtrak in the last two months. While it's not as deadly as the 2015 derailment in Philadelphia that killed eight people, it's comparable with numerous fatal collisions with cars or trucks in Amtrak's history.

The Virginia crash came after a train colliding with a car killed a driver in Dixon, California on Jan. 16. Two days earlier, two people when a train hit their SUV inside the crossing gate in Whitakers, North Carolina. And a deadly derailment involving train cars falling onto a highway in DuPont, Washington killed three and injuring dozens more.

Image via Rep. Greg Walden