Two Dead After Van Crosses Into Amtrak Train’s Path

Two people are dead after a train and a van collided Wednesday morning in Fresno County.

It happened around 10:10 a.m. on Conejo near Peach Avenue about eight miles west of Kingsburg.

The Amtrak train was carrying 177 people, and none of them were injured.

The two men in the van have not been identified, other than appearing to be in their 30s, according to the CHP.

The CHP is investigating why the driver of the van crossed into the train’s path when the crossing arms were down. 

The driver of the van was traveling eastbound on Conejo as the Amtrak train was headed southbound, according to the CHP.

The train had left from Fresno about 15 minutes before the collision and was heading to Hanford with its final destination in Bakersfield, according to the CHP.

The train struck the van on its side, and then the train slowed to a stop.

At a business next to the railroad tracks, Bill Adams said he heard the impact, ran outside, and witnessed the aftermath.

"I was looking out the window, heard a massive impact, and it was like a bomb went off. [I] looked over–it was a big cloud of dust," Adams said.

"We do have two confirmed fatalities at this point," said Officer Axel Reyes with the Fresno California Highway Patrol. "They look both appear to have been ejected. We’re unsure if there are other bodies in the vehicle; the van did burn up."

It’s unknown how fast the train was travelling at the time of the collision.