A Thursday evening crash in Birmingham left one man dead after an Amtrak train collided with a car.
Birmingham resident Roger Lewis, 72, was traveling on the 900 block of 17th Street SW in Birmingham on Thursday around 5:47 p.m. Authorities said he drove around the railroad crossing arms, and his vehicle was struck by the train.
No one else was in the vehicle and no other injuries were reported. There were 108 passengers and crew on board the train at the time.
According to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari, railroad crossings incidents are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in the United States.
"They also serve as critical reminders about the importance of obeying the law and of exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks and crossings," Magliari said. "Amtrak continues to work closely with Operation Lifesaver (OLI) to #STOPTrackTragedies by emphasizing the obvious dangers of being on railroad property or disregarding warnings at rail crossings. For more railroad safety information, please visit StayOffTheTracks.org."
The cause and circumstances surrounding the wreck are not fully known. The incident is under investigation by the Birmingham Police Department.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email will.blakely@1819news.com.
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