A Metro-North train from New York City struck a car on the tracks in Westchester County, causing an explosion and six people were reported killed and many others injured.
The Harlem line train, which has around 800 people on board, was the 5:44 p.m. train from Grand Central Terminal, due at Southeast at 7:08 p.m.
According to the MTA, a woman had been driving a Jeep Cherokee across the tracks at the Commerce Street crossing in Valhalla. Spokesman Aaron Donovan said, “The gates came down on top of the vehicle, which was stopped on the tracks. The driver got out to look at the rear of the car, then she got back in and drove forward and was stuck.”
The crash occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, NBC New York reports, “The Jeep pushed about 10 train-car lengths up the track. The third rail also apparently pierced the train but did not hit any passengers, Donovan said.”
The driver and five people aboard the train were killed. The remaining passengers were evacuated, with 400 taken to a nearby rock climbing gym. Donovan said, “Buses are en route there to get to them to Pleasantville. Metro-North is setting up buses to transport Metro-North customers between Pleasantville and North White Plains. There is normal train service between Grand Central and North White Plains. There is Shuttle train service between Pleasantville and Southeast.”