Four members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation were on an Amtrak train that crashed into a garbage truck in Crozet, Va. on Wednesday morning. None were injured.
Rep. Tom Cole, Sen. James Lankford, Rep. Frank Lucas and Rep. Steve Russell were on their way to congressional Republicans’ annual retreat in West Virginia. Many other Republican lawmakers were on board. NPR reports one person has died and another was seriously injured in the crash.
According to a tweet from the University of Virginia Health System, one person is in critical condition, and four others are being evaluated.
At this time, after the train crash in Crozet, three patients have been transported to UVA Medical Center, and two additional patients are being transported here. One patient is in critical condition; the remaining patients are still being evaluated
— UVA Health (@uvahealthnews) January 31, 2018
Rep. Tom Cole, who represents parts of central and southwestern Oklahoma, told KGOU he was walking down the aisles of the train when the crash happened. He held onto the luggage rack to keep from falling, but saw other members of Congress fall down.
“You knew you had hit something immediately, but you didn’t know what,” Cole said in a phone interview.
Congressman Cole is on the train to West Virginia and has reported to us that he is okay. -Staff
— Rep. Tom Cole (@TomColeOK04) January 31, 2018
Sen. James Lankford told KGOU he was not hurt in the accident.
“You could hear a very long bang and the impact here on the train,” Lankford said. In a phone interview, he described seeing the back of the truck separated from its cab by about 50 yards.
“We knew that was a very serious scene for those individuals that were on the ground,” Lankford said.
Our train heading to the GOP Retreat in West Virginia has been involved in an accident. I am safe but first responders are treating minor injuries on the train & treating the truck drivers. Praying....
— Sen. James Lankford (@SenatorLankford) January 31, 2018
Both lawmakers described seeing members of Congress exiting the train to help the injured people outside.
“There are many physicians that are members of the House and the Senate that jumped off the train immediately and began to provide care to the individuals in the truck. They sprang into action to do what physicians do at that point,” Lankford said.
The remaining members of Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation, including Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Sen. Jim Inhofe and Rep. Jim Bridenstine, were not on the train.
I am OK - I was not on the train. Sending prayers to my colleagues who are and those involved.
— Markwayne Mullin (@RepMullin) January 31, 2018
I'm headed back to Oklahoma, so I was not on the train this morning. My prayers are with all involved in the collision.
— Sen. Jim Inhofe (@JimInhofe) January 31, 2018
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