Four people were killed and 16 injured when a parade float carrying wounded veterans and their wives was hit by a train in Midland, Texas.
Two flatbed trucks carrying the veterans crossed railroad tracks about two miles outside of downtown Midland. The first truck cleared the tracks, but the back end of the second truck was struck by a Union-Pacific train traveling about 62 miles per hour.
Witnesses say there was little to no warning that the train was coming, though federal investigators have found no violations by the train conductors or company yet.
The accident occurred on Thursday during a popular annual parade honoring veterans. The float was on its way to a banquet hosted by Show Our Support, the sponsor of the parade.
All four of the dead were veterans, one of whom pushed his wife out of the way just before the train hit. Witnesses say she was the only passenger on the truck not injured.
CBS News listed the dead:
"Forty seven-year-old Army Sgt. Major Lawrence Boivin was awarded a Silver Star and a Purple Heart for injuries during a 2004 tour in Iraq.
Gary Stouffer, a 37-year-old Marine, was deployed multiple times to Afghanistan, where he sustained a traumatic brain injury. He was three years shy of retirement.
Sgt. Major William Lubbers, 43, died at the hospital. In 2003, he sustained a gunshot wound when his team was ambushed in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Joshua Michael was the youngest at age 34. He pushed his wife off the truck, saving her life."
The railroad crossing is in a so-called "quiet zone," in which the train is not required to announce its presence using its horn. The train's brakes were applied before it hit the truck, but it is not yet clear how early they were activated.
The front engine has an information recorder, much like the "black box" in an airplane cockpit, so authorities are reviewing that for evidence, as well as amateur footage of the crash shot by parade onlookers.
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