Wednesday morning, an Amtrak train carrying members of Congress to a GOP retreat in West Virginia collided with a truck near Charlottesville, Virginia. According to Politico’s initial report, no serious injuries were reported on both the train and the truck, though the truck driver’s actual status could not be immediately determined. Soon after, however, Charlottesville’s NBC affiliate WVIR reported a nurse on the scene said there was “at least one fatality and at least one in critical condition.” As for the Republican congressmen and women who were on board the train, many — including Speaker Paul Ryan — were reported as being okay.
According to CNN, one of Ryan’s aides confirmed he “was on the train and is fine.” Others, like Rep. John Faso (R-New York), told the outlet he thought “everyone on the train is OK,” but “[didn’t] know that for sure, it’s a long train. But most of the concern is for the people outside.” Faso described the truck as “a tractor trailer carrying trash that was hit by the train.” Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Oregon) posted a photo of the scene on Twitter, as did many other politicians and reporters who were there.
We're fine, but our train hit a garbage truck. Members with medical training are assisting the drivers of the truck. pic.twitter.com/0I9jOwHTmb
— Archive: Rep. Greg Walden (@repgregwalden) January 31, 2018
On the heels of WVIR’s report that at least one person had died, the Washington Post caught up with outgoing Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), who confirmed the report with his own account. He told the paper’s Ed O’Keefe that three people were in the truck, including the deceased individual. The other two were seriously injured: “He and other lawmakers helped carry one of the injured truck passengers to an ambulance with local medical personnel.”
BREAKING: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) tells me 3 passengers aboard the hit truck. 1 is dead. 2 injured. He and other lawmakers helped carry one of the injured truck passengers to an ambulance with local medical personnel.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) January 31, 2018
UPDATE #1 – 12:20pm EST: During an on-air report, MSNBC says that CPR was administered to the train’s conductor.
UPDATE #2 – 12:40pn EST: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), also a physician, tweeted additional details about the three truck passengers and their respective conditions. “One is dead. One I am told is being transported but has minor injuries. One has serious injuries,” he wrote. Cassidy and his wife Laura, also a doctor, and “multiple other physicians” on board the train “tended to the patients until EMTs showed up.”
There were 3 people in the truck that was straddling the track and which the train hit. One is dead. One I am told is being transported but has minor injuries. One has serious injuries—please pray. Laura & I & multiple other physicians tended to the patients until EMTs showed up. https://t.co/qAmoofxakV
— Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@BillCassidy) January 31, 2018
(Via CNN, Politico, WVIR-TV and Washington Post)