Passengers aboard a train that struck a vehicle, killing three people — including two girls under 10 — were still shaken up by the incident when they disembarked in Vancouver yesterday.
“We didn’t feel a thing (when the train hit the truck),” said Andrew Martin, who came to Vancouver on vacation from Ottawa.
“They did the whole movie thing, asking if there was a doctor on board … The woman sounded really upset, but didn’t tell us any details.”
On Tuesday morning, during a blinding snowstorm, the Toronto-to-Vancouver train struck a truck at a level crossing protected by gates, lights and bells while going through Edmonton.
John Baxter and his two daughters, Julianne Rose, 9, and Coral Sky, 7, were killed as they drove to school.
None of the train’s 227 passengers or staff suffered any injuries.
Police have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but speed and weather are being investigated.
Martin’s girlfriend, Hayley Lopes, said she initially assumed there was an emergency onboard when the train stopped.
“There was snow covering the windows, so we couldn’t see much,” she said.
When they got up to get a better look, Martin and Lopes said they fell back down because the train was on a slant.
“Some people saw the car flip over,” she added.
“A Via Rail (representative) told us the whole story and about the family before we got off.”
The victims are survived by Baxter’s wife, Alana, and their two-year-old son John Jr.
