An Amtrak train carrying many Republican members of Congress and their families to a GOP retreat in West Virginia collided with a garbage truck on Wednesday.
BREAKING: GOP train hit a truck on way to retreat. Sources say driver getting medical attention; members okay. Pic->
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that one person was killed and another was seriously injured in the crash.
"There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff. Senior administration officials are in regular contact with Amtrak and state and local authorities," she said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident."
An Amtrak train struck the truck that was on the tracks at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia, Kimberly Woods, a spokeswoman for the commuter rail service, confirmed to BuzzFeed News.
There were no reported injuries to passengers or crew members on the train, she added.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was dispatching a team of investigators to look at the cause of the crash.
The 2018 Congressional Republicans' retreat, an annual gathering for GOP members of the House and Senate to discuss their plans for the year, is being held this weekend at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.
President Trump told reporters from the Oval Office that he had spoken with House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans who were on the train, who said they felt "a tremendous jolt."
"We don't have a full understanding yet as to what happened, but it was a train hitting a truck, going at a pretty good speed and we'll have a full report," the President said. "A few of the folks said it was tough."
The driver of the truck, Trump said, was killed in the crash.
"It's very sad to see that," he said.
Later, the Albemarle County Police Department identified the victim as Christopher Foley, 28. He was a passenger in the truck.
Trump said the Republicans were still heading out to the conference.
Members of Congress tweeted updates on their safety and images from the scene of the crash.
Our train heading to the GOP Retreat in West Virginia has been involved in an accident. I am safe but first respon… https://t.co/FkT1L2m6vd
Another photo of the scene at the GOP retreat train accident, taken by a member who was on the train -
.@maryaliceparks Front of the train heading to the Greenbrier
Elected officials with medical training also assisted first responders.
We're fine, but our train hit a garbage truck. Members with medical training are assisting the drivers of the truck.
Photo @RepCurbelo sent from inside train.
At a press conference after the crash, members of Congress who were on the train told reporters the scene of the crash was reminiscent of the June 14, 2017, shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise, who was wounded when a gunman opened fire during a baseball practice for colleagues.
In both instances, however, they said they saw members of Congress jumping in to assist those who needed help, regardless of the danger posed to themselves.
"I couldn't be prouder of the people on this stage," said Rep. Larry Bucshon, of Louisiana. "Hopefully the people on this stage did save a life."
"To just see people out there without any regard to safety — we saw it both cases — that's heartening," Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona told reporters.
Rep. Phil Roe, of Tennessee, told reporters some colleagues, like himself, were able to look back into their medical training to help.
"If you've been doing something 30-plus years, you don't forget about that just because you've become a congressman," he said.
Rep. Jason Lewis of Minnesota was taken to a local hospital to check for a possible concussion after suffering a minor head injury during the crash.
@NBC29 And another person was taken from the train before him. This person appears to be Rep. Jason Lewis, who was… https://t.co/nNrlY0I9bw
GOP MN Rep Jason Lewis tells Fox he may have whiplash & a "tiny bit of a concussion." Says there "are lots of minor injuries on the train."
House Speaker Paul Ryan called it a "terrible tragedy."
Today’s incident was a terrible tragedy. We are grateful for the first responders who rushed to the scene and we pr… https://t.co/H7OfcKIPEy
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said he and his fellow colleagues were "deeply saddened" by the crash.
“My condolences, and those of the entire Senate family, go out to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers. Our prayers are with the other accident victims who are fighting to recover from their injuries. And our deep gratitude is with the police, firefighters, and medical personnel who sped to the scene.
“It is impossible to overstate how much we Americans owe to our brave first responders – today and every day.”
Alexis Levinson and Lissandra Villa and Emma Loop contributed additional reporting to this story.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.
UPDATE
The deceased was a passenger, not the driver, or the truck. This article has been updated to reflect that fact.