Missouri Amtrak derailment: Authorities identify dead passengers
An Amtrak spokesperson said that 243 passengers and 12 crew members were on the Chicago-bound train when it derailed in Missouri
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities in Missouri have identified the individuals who died in the June 27 Amtrak train derailment.
In a tweet on Wednesday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol revealed that Rochelle Cook, 58; Kim Holsapple, 56; and Binh Pham, 82, all died after a Chicago-bound Amtrak train derailed on Monday near Mendon, Missouri just before 12:45 p.m.
The train derailed after hitting a dump truck in the rural Missouri town. The driver of the dump truck, Billy Barton II, also died, according to authorities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A total of 243 passengers and 12 crew members were onboard the train when the incident happened, according to an Amtrak spokesperson.
CHICAGO-BOUND AMTRAK TRAIN DERAILS AFTER HITTING DUMP TRUCK IN MISSOURI, AT LEAST THREE DEAD
Workers inspect the scene of an Amtrak train which derailed after striking a dump truck Monday, June 27, 2022, near Mendon, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
According to Fox Kansas City, at least 50 people were injured as a result of the derailment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The train initially departed from Los Angeles.
During a press conference on Wednesday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said that the train's horn began blowing when it was going 89 mph, which was a quarter-mile from the train crossing.
Upon hitting the dump truck, the train's speed was 87 mph. Homendy said the crossing's speed limit is 90 mph.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Homendy noted she has heard about multiple people within the rural Missouri community who have expressed concerns about the steepness of the train crossing.
She also said that the dump truck was carrying aggregate to a levee for an Army Corps of Engineers project, and noted that it was carrying large pieces of rock.
Homendy said that she doesn't have concerns with any mechanical issues regarding the Amtrak train, and added that the brakes have been tested.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Amanda Diehl Drinkhard, a passenger on the Amtrak train, told Fox News that her car fell off the rail and she could see a cloud of dirt.
In this photo provided by Dax McDonald, an Amtrak passenger train lies on its side after derailing near Mendon, Mo., on Monday, June 27, 2022. The Southwest Chief, traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago, was carrying about 243 passengers when it collided with a dump truck near Mendon, Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods said. (Dax McDonald via AP)
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"We heard a big crash and then a big cloud of dirt with a horrible burning oil smell, Drinkhard said. "In slow motion the car fell off the rail to the right side. People from across the aisle were falling on top of us. Everyone stayed relatively calm and we managed to push everyone out the top through a broken out window. There were helpful people waiting at the bottom to help down from the car."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted on Monday evening that it is launching a team to investigate the derailment.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.