Amtrak Train Hits Log Truck, Derails; 14 Hurt

COOSAWHATCHIE, S.C. — An Amtrak train struck a log truck at a crossing Tuesday morning, derailing all 10 cars and the engine and injuring 14 people, emergency officials said.

Two people were seriously injured. Most of the injuries involved neck and back problems, with some people complaining of stomach injuries from when the engineer attempted to stop, said Mike Hodges, emergency management director for Jasper County.

The train was traveling from New York to Miami when it derailed at 9:07 about 35 miles north of Savannah, Ga., said Amtrak spokesman Bill Schulz There were 103 passengers and 10 crew members on board.

The train was going 79 mph when it hit the rear of the truck, separating the bed from the cab, said Cpl. Chuck Wise of the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The driver, who told police he did not see the train, was not hurt. He was in the truck cab when the train hit.

Wise said the engineer applied the train’s emergency brakes, and the train had its lights on and the horn sounding. The crossing is surrounded by woods but there is visibility down the tracks, he said.

Marion C. Blakey, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the NTSB would send staff members to investigate the crash.