Train crash kills one, injures several, strands passengers

A crash between a westbound Amtrak train and a tractor on the eastern edge of Montana Friday morning killed the driver of the tractor, injured several Amtrak passengers and employees and delayed the trains running both westbound and eastbound on the Hi-Line.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said in a statement Friday night that the crass occurred about 10:41 a.m. Friday at a railroad crossing east of Wolf Point.

Sources report the driver of the John Deere sprayer that the train collided with at the crossing died as a result of the crash.

Magliari said none of the 64 Amtrak passengers or 10 crew members sustained life-threatening injuries. One passengers and three crew members were treated at a local hospital and released.

The passengers were sheltered Culbertson High Schools, he said.

The westbound trains, Train 7 headed to Seattle and Train 27 headed to Portland, left Chicago Thursday, Magliari said.

The track was closed while the crash was investigated, with Montana Highway Patrol investigating the incident.

Magliari said the Amtrak train was damaged but remained standing on the tracks.

The incident also delayed the westbound train, 8 and 28, that left Portland and Seattle Thursday destined for Chicago while the crash was investigated. Magliari said that train would continue to Wolf Point and pick up the westbound passengers and return to its starting points, and the 49 westbound passengers were being offered travel on the next eastbound train.

Magliari said Amtrak uses tracks owned and dispatched by BNSF Railway where the crash occurred.

"We appreciate the assistance by the host railroad and Culbertson community," he added.