‘It appears Amtrak was on the wrong track,’ SC governor says of deadly crash

The Amtrak train that collided Sunday morning with a freight train and killed two people appeared to be on the wrong track, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said.

A CSX freight train was empty, stationary and on a loading track when the collision occurred, McMaster said.

“It appears to me that the CSX train was the track it was supposed to be on,” he said. “It appears Amtrak was on the wrong track. That’s what it appears to me.”

The two people who died were Amtrak workers, McMaster said. More than 100 were treated at local hospitals for various injuries.

The Amtrak train was going 59 mph, McMaster said he was told.

“It’s a horrible thing to see to understand the force that is involved,” McMaster said after viewing scene. “The first engine of the freight train was torn up and the single engine of the Amtrak train was barely recognizable. It was quite a crash.”

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will be arriving on site all day, and that includes NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt.

McMaster visited with passengers who were taken to a Red Cross shelter set up at nearby Pine Ridge Middle School. He said he counted 32 people being taken care of at the school.

“The spirits, under the circumstances, were very good,” he said.

This is the second fatal Amtrak crash in a week and the third in the last few months. Three people were killed in Washington State in December when an Amtrak train crashed there.

Other key news and developments from Sunday’s crash.

▪  The crash occurred near Charleston Highway and Pine Ridge Road around 2:35 a.m. Sunday. The lead Amtrak car and a few passenger cars derailed.

▪  There were eight crew members and approximately 139 passengers on board. Anyone seeking info about passengers on Train 91 should call the Amtrak info line at 1-800-523-9101.

▪  All the passengers have been removed from Amtrak 91, which was operating from New York to Miami.

▪  116 people were taken to local hospitals with various injuries.

▪  The White House released this statement: “The President has been briefed on the train accident in South Carolina and is receiving regular updates. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2018 at 11:37 AM with the headline "‘It appears Amtrak was on the wrong track,’ SC governor says of deadly crash."