Two adults and a 10-year-old girl are dead after a train struck a minivan in East Chicago, Indiana, over the weekend, leaving three other children injured.
Just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, police responded to the accident, where they found a 2005 Honda minivan with “extensive damage,” the East Chicago Police Department said in a statement.
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Law enforcement then started to render aid to all those injured in the accident. A 36-year-old male, a 38-year-old female, and a 10-year-old girl were pronounced dead on the scene. Three boys, aged from 7 to 10 years old, were sent to hospitals and were said to be in critical condition.
The identities of those involved have not been released.
While the cause of the accident remains under investigation, police said a preliminary investigation found the minivan approached the train crossing “when the signals, lights, and crossing gates indicating a train was approaching activated.” Video footage of the incident reportedly showed the vehicle ignoring the signals and driving around the crossing gate, where it was then struck by the train.
The train pushed the vehicle roughly 200 yards from the crossing.
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An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The East Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
