An evening rush hour Metro-North commuter train leaving New York’s Grand Central Station Tuesday, Feb. 3 crashed into a Jeep that was stuck on the tracks near Valhalla, NY in Westchester County.  This is Metro-North’s deadliest accident in history, leaving five people on the train dead. The female driver of the SUV was also killed. At least 15 other people were injured, with 10 of the 15 suffering serious injuries. Most of the injured were taken to Westchester Medical Center.

The impact of the train sent the SUV approximately 400 feet north on the tracks. The third rail of the track drove right through the first car of the train igniting a massive fire.  Westchester County Executive, Rob Astorino, said the inside of the car was melted and charred leaving some bodies burned beyond recognition.

The crossing gates had come down on the Jeep, although how this happened is still not clear. An eye witness said the driver had gotten out of her car, looked confused and then got back into her vehicle. She then pulled about 10 feet forward and was immediately struck by the oncoming train.

A Metro-North derailment in the Bronx occurred in December 2013 in which four people were killed. The operator of that train suffered from sleep apnea prompting screening of engineers for sleep apnea to begin in early 2015. It is too early to say whether the operator or Metro-North is in any way responsible for last night’s tragic accident.

Robert Sumwalt, an NTSB board member, said in a press conference today, teams from the NTSB will be arriving in New York Wednesday morning to launch their investigation. The investigation can take several months to reach a final conclusion.