A 17-year-old boy was killed when an Amtrak train crashed into a pickup truck west of Kalamazoo.
LAWTON, Mich. – Authorities have identified a motorist who died when an Amtrak train crashed into a pickup truck that was apparently stuck on tracks west of Kalamazoo.
The crash happened Tuesday night in Lawton. Police say 17-year-old Tyler Wirtz of Bronson was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police Chief Jeffrey Mack said emergency responders found the man outside the pickup when they arrived on the scene. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Police say witnesses told investigators they heard the truck’s engine revving just before the crossing’s warning lights and bell activated. They say he was apparently attempting to free the truck when it was hit.
Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds says Blue Water Train 364 was traveling from Chicago to Port Huron, Michigan, when it hit the vehicle around 7:30 p.m. No injuries reported to the crew or the train’s 215 passengers.
Passengers were taken by bus to the train station in Kalamazoo.
