Two women were killed Thursday morning when their SUV was struck by a freight train at a railroad crossing outside Pittsburgh.
The incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. in Rockwood Borough, a small town in western Pennsylvania’s Somerset County.
State police said the women drove through the crossing — even though the traffic control devices were functioning properly — and were hit on the front side door.
The victims were identified later Thursday as Susan Spangler, 67, and Deloris Latshaw, 85, both of Somerset. One of the women died at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center and the other died at the scene, Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees told The Daily American. It’s unknown which women was driving the car.
An eyewitness said one of the women was flown to the hospital by helicopter, according to WTAJ.
Photos from the scene showed a crumpled red SUV on a flatbed truck.
The engineer and conductor on the train were the only occupants of the train and were not injured.
“CSX extends its deepest sympathies to everyone impacted by this tragic incident and will continue to support local law enforcement as they complete the investigation,” the company said in a statement.
