This post has been updated.
A train carrying congressional Republicans to a GOP retreat collided with a trash truck in Virginia on Wednesday morning, leaving at least one person dead and at least one other critically injured, according to several news reports.
None of the passengers aboard the train sustained any major injuries, however.
Republican members of Congress were aboard a chartered Amtrak train headed for a retreat in West Virginia when the train hit the truck in Crozet, Virginia.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed in a statement that the incident resulted in one fatality and one serious injury, but she said that there were no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff.
“The President has been fully briefed on the situation in Virginia and is receiving regular updates. There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury. There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff. Senior Administration officials are in regular contact with Amtrak and state and local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident,” Sanders said.
Five people who were aboard the train were taken to the hospital to treat minor injuries, according to Amtrak.
“An Amtrak train came into contact with a truck that was on the tracks at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Va. Two Amtrak crew members and three passengers were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The NTSB is investigating,” Amtrak said in the statement.
Shortly after news broke that the train had collided with the trash truck, Republican lawmakers began calling into cable news networks to describe the scene.
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), who was aboard the train when it collided with the truck, called into MSNBC Wednesday morning and said that most of the people on the train appeared to be alright.
“I have seen cuts and bruises,” he said.
A few members of Congress sustained some minor injuries. Rep. Chuck Fleshmann (R-TN) said he was standing when the train collided with the truck and sustained minor injuries.
I was standing up when the accident happened. A little bit shaken up, and praying for all of my fellow colleagues.
— Chuck Fleischmann (@RepChuck) January 31, 2018
Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) was sent to the hospital to be screened for a possible concussion after the crash, his staff told the Star Tribune.
Several Republican lawmakers aboard the train, some of whom were doctors, helped tend to those injured in the collision. Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), both doctors, performed CPR on one of the truck drivers, according to updates published on Marshall’s twitter account.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) helped tend to the injured truck drivers as well and helped carry one of the injured to an ambulance, Flake told MSNBC.
Sen. @JeffFlake describes the moments after a train collided with a garbage truck, says he and fellow congressman helped one of the injured passengers from the truck.
"We loaded him on a stretcher and carried him to the ambulance." pic.twitter.com/DW13YNZo7q
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 31, 2018
BREAKING: GOP train hit a truck on way to retreat. Sources say driver getting medical attention; members okay. Pic-> pic.twitter.com/99xmsGFEEs
— Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) January 31, 2018
