In a heart-wrenching incident on Saturday evening, six individuals, including three children, lost their lives when a train collided with an SUV at a railroad crossing in Hillsborough County, Florida. The tragedy unfolded as the seven occupants of the SUV were en route to a quinceañera, a traditional celebration marking a girl's 15th birthday.
The catastrophic scene was described by Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister as "devastating." The impact of the collision was so severe that the Cadillac Escalade SUV was left resembling a "soft drink can that's been smashed." The freight train was reportedly traveling at over 55 mph when it struck the vehicle.
Video footage from a camera mounted on the train's front revealed the SUV approaching the tracks and slowly crossing without halting to check for oncoming trains. Sheriff Chronister noted that the train's conductor made every possible effort to decelerate and sounded prolonged horns while flashing the train's lights as a warning. Another witness parked nearby also honked in an attempt to alert the SUV's driver.
The aftermath of the collision was harrowing. "The SUV, we can see from the video, begins to catapult and flip violently several times before it landed a distance from this crossing," Chronister recounted to the media. First responders rushed to the scene shortly before 7 p.m. and initiated immediate rescue operations. The driver and the front-seat passenger were extracted from the wreckage and transported to the Lakeland Regional Hospital. While the front-seat passenger remains in critical condition, the driver succumbed to his injuries overnight.
The other five passengers were tragically "violently ejected" from the SUV and were declared dead at the scene. The deceased have been identified as Julian Hernandez, 9; Jakub A. Lopez, 17; Alyssa Hernandez, 17; Anaelia Hernandez, 22; Enedelia Hernandez, 51; and Jose G. Hernandez, 52. The exact relationships among the victims are still being determined, but Sheriff Chronister believes that Hillsborough County may have lost an entire family in this tragic incident.
The railroad crossing where the accident occurred lacks level crossing arms that prevent vehicles from crossing when a train is approaching. However, it is equipped with a stop sign and a railroad crossing indicator. Sheriff Chronister mentioned that the area is not frequently traveled, with only a few residences on the other side of the crossing.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the sheriff's office.
