6 dead, 1 critically injured in 'tragic' Plant City train v. SUV crash: HCSO
PLANT CITY, Fla. - Six people died and one person is in the hospital in critical condition after a train and an SUV collided Saturday night, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash happened just before seven p.m. at a crossing on US-92 near Jim Lefler Circle in Plant City.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said according to video and witness statements, the SUV entered the train’s path for unknown reasons.
Sheriff Chronister said three adults and two juveniles died at the scene. Two adults, the driver and the front passenger, were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. First responders used the Jaws of Life to rescue them.
The sheriff’s office said the driver, 52-year-old Jose G. Hernandez, died overnight.
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The front passenger, 23-year-old Guillermo E. Gama III, is in critical condition at Lakeland Regional Hospital.
"The word devastating doesn't even begin to describe the tragedy that unfolded here," Sheriff Chronister said. "Hillsborough County lost a family today, and our hearts are shattered."
The freight train was traveling at 55 miles per hour in a 60 miles per hour zone.
Video footage from the front of the train shows that the Cadillac Escalade approached the railroad crossing and "slow crawled across the railroad crossing, but never stopped, never stopped to look both ways," Chronister said.
"The train conductor did everything he could to slow this train down. He signaled these loud train horns that they're equipped with along with the flashing lights," Chronister said.
A witness told deputies he honked his horn to get the driver’s attention.
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The SUV, the sheriff said, "flipped violently several times" before it landed a distance away from the crossing.
Chronister said the victims were "violently ejected" from the SUV.
"This SUV looks like a soft drink can that has been smashed. It’s that horrible of a scene," Chronister said.
Chronister said they’re still working to identify the relationships between the victims but believe they were a family on the way to a quinceañera just across the railroad tracks.
According to a family member at the scene Sunday morning, Jose Hernandez, his wife Enedelia Hernandez, 50, and their three children, Alyssa Hernandez, who just turned 17, Aniella Hernandez, 22 and Julian Hernandez, 9, all died.
Gama, who was dating Anaelia Hernandez according to one of her relatives, and 17-year-old Jakub Lopez was also in the SUV.
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On Sunday morning, one of Lopez’s family members at the scene said he took off work at Chick-fil-A to go to the birthday party and was friends with the Hernandez family.
She said Lopez’s siblings helped him pick out an outfit for the party, and he chose cowboy boots and bellbottom jeans.
Lopez’s aunt said he was a devout Catholic and that he gave his family a huge smile as they dropped him off to head over to the party.
"He was a straight-A student," Lopez's parents said. "He was a junior who was going to finish all his classes and just take electives his senior year. He wanted to go to either Michigan State or LSU," they said.
Lopez's relatives said they were looking for his cell phone at the scene Sunday morning. They said it's still showing its location at the crash site, and they keep thinking they're going to wake up and he will come back home.
Lopez attended Plant City High School.
"I believe tonight Hillsborough County lost one of its families. I want to take just a moment to ask this community to say an extra prayer tonight. Say an extra prayer tonight for the first responders, for the deputies who had to go out here and as they were canvassing the area looking for survivors, unfortunately only found more people that lost their lives from this tragedy, this violent car crash, this violent SUV versus train crash that we had here this evening," Chronister said Saturday night.
"Also, I want to ask you to pray for this family. On behalf of the 4,000 members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, our hearts are shattered for the loss of this family," he said.
The Sheriff said he and all the first responders are "visibly shaken.
"We are all rattled at our core here tonight."
The private railroad crossing has a stop sign but does not have crossing arms.
Chronister said the first call about the crash came from an iPhone around 6:48 p.m. Saturday and deputies were dispatched to the scene using coordinates from the call.
The incident is still under investigation.
CSX issued the following statement: "At approximately 6:48 p.m. EDT Saturday, a CSX train came in contact with a vehicle on the tracks at Jim Lefler Circle in Plant City, FL. Hillsborough County responded to the scene and reported multiple vehicle occupants were fatally injured in the incident. There were no injuries to the crew of the train. CSX extends its deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by this tragic incident. CSX is working to support local law enforcement as they conduct the ongoing investigation."