An Amtrak train struck and killed two people who were on an ATV 4-wheeler Sunday night in Baltimore County, according to police.
The crash happened at approximately 8 p.m. when a train traveling southbound hit an ATV that was “obstructing the tracks,” Amtrak officials said.
While the investigation is still ongoing, here’s what we do know:
- Police said the two riders of the ATV were pronounced dead at the scene. Baltimore County Police responded to the scene around 8:30 p.m., according to a preliminary statement from officials.
- Location information for the incident from Amtrak says the crash happened on No. 3 track at milepost 87. A map from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows milepost 87 a little more than 300 feet west of where Rossville Boulevard crosses over the Amtrak-owned and operated rail lines.
- The train in question was Amtrak Train 149, traveling from New York City to Roanoke, Virginia. Amtrak said there were no reported injuries to the 519 passengers or crew members on the train.
- Seven trains were delayed between 1-2 hours because of the emergency medical response to the incident site.
It’s not clear how the driver of the ATV entered the train tracks. Much of the track in that part of Baltimore County is fenced-off or elevated, but there are areas that are not fenced-off, including not far from milepost 87, according to imagery available from Google Maps.
Trespassing on railroad rights-of-way is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in the United States, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Baltimore County Police officials deferred questions to the Amtrak Police Department, which said no additional information was available as of Monday afternoon.
The Baltimore County Fire Department, which also responded to the crash, deferred questions to Baltimore County police.
A spokesperson for The National Transportation Safety Board said it was not investigating the crash.
This is a developing story.
