On November 30th, 2007, an Amtrak train crashed into a Norfolk Southern freight train that was stopped at a signal. Firefighters had to remove crew, including the conductor, from the Amtrak train’s locomotive with hydraulic cutting tools due to it landing on top of a freight car. It took the firefighters 15 minutes to extract one person, but he was conscious and alert when he was removed. Many passengers were removed from the wreckage on stretchers.

Many passengers were jolted forward into the seats in front of them. 71 people were sent to hospitals, most of who were in stable condition. Mats were set up on the ground for the extracted passengers to be assessed.

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19 ambulances were dispatched to the scene of the crash. 14 of the 187 passengers were in critical condition, and about 100 injured passengers were considered “walking wounded”, meaning they had relatively minor injuries. Fortunately none of the three cars behind the engine were derailed in the crash.

The Amtrak train was moving at approximately 35 mph when it crashed into the freight train. Investigators estimate that the engineer exceeded the speed limit by about 20 mph., despite functioning lights. Passengers were issued refunds.