At least 3 dead, dozens injured after Amtrak train derails in Missouri

At least three people were killed and 50 injured on Monday after an Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Chicago derailed in Mendon, Missouri, about 100 miles northeast of Kansas City.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Justin Dunn said preliminary reports indicate the train derailed at about 1:42 p.m. CT after hitting a dump truck at a crossing that did not have mechanical arms or lights warning of approaching trains. Dunn said two of the victims were inside the train and one was in the truck. There were approximately 243 passengers on board, and seven cars derailed, Dunn said.

Passenger Robert Nightingale told CNN he was taking a nap in his sleeper compartment when "everything started to go in slow motion. Like I could feel the tracks go back and forth, back and forth." Once the train stopped, Nightingale followed a family that was climbing out of the train onto the roof, and he remained there until help arrived.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On Sunday, an Amtrak train traveling through Brentwood, California, hit a passenger vehicle at a crossing that did not have mechanical arms. Three people inside the car were killed and two others were seriously injured.