(TotalConservative.com) – Six people are dead and one more is in critical condition after an SUV pulled onto a train crossing in Florida on the evening of September 23rd. The driver was one of two initial survivors but died from his injuries shortly thereafter. An unidentified person in the front passenger seat is still fighting for his life in a Florida hospital.
Shortly before 7 p.m. for reasons unknown Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, 52, slowly drove his 2020 Cadillac Escalade into a railroad crossing while a train was inbound, according to the sheriff.
Sheriff Chad Chronister asked the community to keep everyone who was affected in their thoughts, including the family and first responders. He said that members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, including himself were praying for “peace and comfort” for those impacted.
The other passengers included Hernandez’s wife and children and one of their friends. Everyone in the rear of the vehicle was sent flying out of the car and died at the scene. Authorities and witnesses believe that they were heading to a birthday party just across the tracks.
Another driver attempted to deter Hernandez from crossing by slamming his horn to no effect. The train collided with the SUV sending it flying into the air and flipping multiple times before finally coming to a stop. The impact ejected everyone but the driver and front passenger from the vehicle, killing all but one of the vehicle’s occupants.
The crossing doesn’t have the traditional collapsing arms that usually block railroad crossings. A local rail safety expert told NBC that the reason that those measures aren’t in place was since the road is privately owned and maintained, it’s solely to access two homes and isn’t a thoroughfare. Due to its private ownership, the normal safety measures aren’t required by law. The company that owns and maintains the road did not respond to a request for comment.
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