Truck Driver Killed in Crash With Amtrak Train

TAMPA, FL (AP) -- An Amtrak train carrying 89 people slammed into a tractor trailer Wednesday at an industrial rail crossing, killing the truck driver and leaving three passengers with minor injuries, authorities said.

The Amtrak Silver Star was heading into the Tampa area when it collided with the truck carrying scrap metal at about 1:45 p.m., Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade said. The train carrying 75 passengers and 14 crew members stopped safely after the crash and did not derail, Wade said.

The semi caught fire and was destroyed. The driver, Henry James Montgomery, 45, of Seffner, died on the scene. He was at the CSX Corp. loading site to drop off a container and pick up a new one when his truck was hit, Wade said.

Two passengers taken to a hospital with minor back injuries, and a third person was treated on the scene for difficulty breathing, Wade said. Passengers were transported from the crash site in buses. The train was heading to Miami from New York, said Tracy Connell, an Amtrak spokeswoman in Washington.

The cause of the crash was under investigation. Wade said the crossing was not on a public road and had warning lights and a crossing gate, but authorities were investigating if they were working properly.