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One Dead After Train Carrying GOP Congress Members Plows Into Truck (UPDATED)

By Lawrence BonkJan 31st, 2018, 11:55 am

A train carrying GOP Congressional members, on the way to Greenbrier, West Virginia to attend a Republican retreat, has hit a truck, causing injuries, though details remain scant.

Reports indicate that the train hit a garbage truck, with one on-site photo showing the devastation metered out to the vehicle. The status of its driver remains unknown, though POLITICO’s Rachael Bade has stated he is receiving medical attention and CNN has reported that there is one fatality and one person was critically injured.

The Washington Post’s Ed O’Keefe has also stated that the driver, or a passenger, of the truck has died, stating that Sen. Jeff Flake told him the truck was carrying three people when it was struck by the train.

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has confirmed the fatality.

The front of the Amtrak train that housed the GOP leaders looks slightly less worse for wear than the garbage truck, but was certainly damaged, as seen in the below photo.

CNN has reported that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was on the train, but was uninjured in the crash, though CBS has reported that “Members of Congress were thrown from their seats.”

Other GOP leaders have reported their statuses via Twitter or called in to news organizations, including Rep. Bradley Byrne, who is fine.

The same can be said for Rep. Don Bacon, of Nebraska.

Rep. Ed Royce, of California, has taken to Twitter to inform his followers that both himself and his wife Marie are fine.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo, of Florida, told MSNBC that “it appears everyone is okay and it could have been a lot worse.”

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, of Nebraska, echoes the sentiment that GOP members remain uninjured, but did note that the driver of the garbage truck may face serious injury.

Rep. Bruce Westerman, of Arkansas, concurs with the report that GOP Congressional members remain unscathed.

Amtrak has released a statement, via CBS, confirming that “there are no reported injuries” to the train’s “passengers or crew members,” though did not mention the garbage truck’s passengers or driver.

This is a developing story and we will update this post as more information comes in.

Speaker Ryan has released a statement on the accident.

Watch MSNBC’s breaking report above.

UPDATE 3:28 p.m. EST 

President Donald Trump has addressed the accident, confirming that the Republican lawmakers are indeed still headed to that retreat in West Virginia, also stating that there was not a “full understanding” of what caused the crash.

[image via screenshot]

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