Five people died on Saturday evening when a freight train collided with an SUV at a railroad crossing in Florida in the southeastern United States, police said.
The driver of the SUV approached the Plant City intersection, which is marked with signs, and continued driving without looking in either direction, Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference, citing video footage and witness statements.
“The engineer did everything he could to slow that train down,” and he sounded horns and signal lights to warn the motorist, he said.
The car was catapulted before landing some distance from the intersection, Chronister added.
Five of seven passengers, including children, were thrown from the car and died.