08/25/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, US // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan
Cape Town, South Africa—Cape Town police have launched a full investigation into a horrific Wednesday morning, August 25, 2010 van-train collision that killed 9 children and left six others severely injured. The deadly accident occurred after the van’s driver went around the activated railroad crossing gates, according to information provided by NPR.
Reports indicated a van carrying 14 children was en route to several different schools when the driver tried to maneuver the vehicle around closed railroad crossing arms. A train consequently smashed into the van in the Blackheath area of Cape Town.
According to Cape Town police spokesperson Col. Billy Jones, three girls and six boys suffered fatal injuries in the van-train collision. “The other five children, all boys, sustained serious to critical injuries. They were taken to Red Cross and Tygerberg hospitals respectively,” said Jones.
The unidentified driver of the wrecked van was also rushed to an area hospital to be treated for critical injuries. “We have launched a culpable homicide investigation to determine circumstances surrounding the incident and whether anyone can be held criminally accountable for the deaths of the children,” Jones added.
Railway authorities released a statement after the fatal accident, in which they maintained, “The crossing is protected by road signs, flashing lights and booms, which were confirmed to be in working order.”
A full probe into the unfortunate Cape Town train-involved accident is underway.
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