Six people, including three children, died after a train crashed into their SUV over the weekend.
The incident occurred Saturday at a private railroad crossing about 20 miles west of Tampa, where there is no barrier and only a stop sign warning of a passing train. Five of the Escalade’s seven passengers died at the scene.
The driver involved, 52-year-old Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, initially survived but succumbed to his injuries overnight after being taken to a local hospital, police said.
Five people in the back seat, including Hernandez’s wife and three children, ages 9, 17 and 22, were ejected from the vehicle upon impact, police announced Sunday. The car “slowly crawled over the railroad crossing” but “never stopped to check on either of them.” Ways.’
What is known is that all victims except Hernandez were rear passengers – the other was a 17-year-old friend of one of the deceased. The survivor, a friend of Hernandez’s adult child, is in critical condition at a Lakeland hospital.
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Six people have died, including three children, after a train crashed into their SUV at this private railroad crossing in Plant City, Florida, on Saturday evening. Five people in the back seat died at the scene after being thrown from the vehicle, while the driver, 52, died overnight
Sole survivor Guillermo Gama, a friend of one of the victims, is currently “fighting for his life” after being rushed to a hospital in Lakewood. Relatives noted Sunday that the incident “cost the lives of an entire family” who were on their way to a party at the time of the accident
Relatives there say that he is “fighting for his life.”
“On Saturday 9/23/23, my nephew Guillermo E. (Gordo/Doorbell) Gama III was involved in a fatal train accident that claimed the lives of an entire family,” a GoFundMe started by the 23-year-old Plant City man was read by Aunt Sunday.
“The deceased victims were [Gama’s] Girlfriend, parents, 2 siblings and a friend of one of the siblings.’
The post, which raised nearly $3,000 in two hours, continued: “Gama is only 23 years old and has a passion for life and family.”
“He is currently in critical condition at Lakeland Regional Hospital fighting for his life.”
In a statement just hours earlier, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office officials reported the condition of the other survivor in Hernandez, who they said drove the group to a quinceañera just across the tracks.
The update, which aired more than 12 hours after the accident, also revealed the identities and ages of the other victims – lives all of which were snuffed out shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday when the car slowly crossed the tracks of Highway 92 at Jim Lefler Circle crossed.
It read: “The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is heartbroken to share the latest update regarding the investigation into the fatal train-on-vehicle accident.”
“The driver involved in the accident succumbed to his injuries and died overnight.”
The incident occurred Saturday at a private railroad crossing about 20 miles west of Tampa and resulted in five Escalade passengers dying at the scene.
The driver involved, 52-year-old Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, initially survived but succumbed to his injuries overnight after being taken to a local hospital, police said.
Five people in the back seat, including Hernandez’s wife and three children, ages 9, 17 and 22, were ejected from the vehicle upon impact, police announced Sunday as they continue to investigate what led to the crash
What is known is that all victims except Hernandez were rear passengers – the other was a 17-year-old friend of one of the deceased
The survivor, a friend of Hernandez’s adult child, is in critical condition at a Lakeland hospital
His wife, 50-year-old Enedelia Hernandez, and their three children – Alyssa, who just turned 17, Anaelia, 22, and nine-year-old Julian – were pronounced dead at the scene, cops wrote, revealing some of the violent circumstances surrounding about her death.
‘[Hernandez] was driving his white 2020 Cadillac Escalade southbound on Jim Lefler Circle from US Highway 92 and approached a railroad crossing controlled by a stop sign and a railroad crossing sign,” officers wrote.
“Hernandez had six other passengers in the Escalade, including his wife, two minor children, an adult child and two of the children’s friends.
“For unknown and unclear reasons, the train driver slowly crossed the tracks directly in the path of the train.
“Five rear passengers were ejected from the Escalade as it spun and rolled to final rest.”
The five passengers who were ejected all died at the scene of the accident, the officials wrote, while Rama – sitting in the front – was able to escape with serious injuries. His condition (as of Sunday at 8 p.m.) remains unknown.
In a statement just hours earlier, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office officials reported the condition of the other survivor in Hernandez, who they said drove the group to a quinceañera just across the tracks
The update, which aired more than 12 hours after the accident, also revealed the identities and ages of the other victims – lives all of which were snuffed out shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday when the car slowly crossed the tracks of Highway 92 at Jim Lefler Circle crossed
His wife, 50-year-old Enedelia Hernandez, and their three children – Alyssa, who just turned 17, Anaelia, 22, and nine-year-old Julian – were pronounced dead at the scene, police officers said Sunday, revealing some of the acts were violent Circumstances surrounding her death
The five passengers who were ejected all died at the scene of the accident, the officials wrote, while Rama – sitting in the front – was able to escape with serious injuries. His condition remains unknown
Police also released the name and age of the final victim – 17-year-old Jakub Lopez – who was also a friend of one of the siblings.
A family member shared a tribute to the teen on Facebook Sunday after police confirmed he was in the Escalade, parts of which remained at the scene Sunday morning.