An Amtrak train collided with a truck on Monday, just south of the New Hampshire and Massachusetts state border, leading to an elderly man’s death.
The incident occurred at about 12:48 p.m. in the area of Rosemont Street, where the tracks have an at-grade crossing. The train came to a halt just north of that intersection and some of the wheels of the passenger cars had visibly derailed.
“I was standing up in the bathroom and I started bouncing all over the place, and I didn’t know what was going on,” said Walter Shaffadr, a passenger on the Amtrak train. “After probably 30 or 40 seconds, it calmed down.”
An overturned, damaged vehicle was seen pushed to the side of the tracks. Police, firefighters and paramedics were seen working in the area. The railroad crossing was shut down, ringed in traffic cones and yellow police tape.
The Essex District Attorney’s Office said a pickup truck went through the gate on Rosemont Street and collided with the northbound Amtrak train.
The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, an 83-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It was really sad. Really, it’s devastating,” said Norah Fay, another Amtrak passenger. “Prayers to the family.”
Police, firefighters and paramedics were seen working in the area. The railroad crossing was shut down, ringed in traffic cones and yellow police tape.
Amtrak identified the train as No. 683, part of the Downeaster route. It was scheduled to depart Boston at 11:50 a.m. and arrive in Portland, Maine at 2:25 p.m.
In a statement, Amtrak said there were no reported injuries among the train’s crew or the 80 passengers who were aboard.
Around 2:30 p.m., a second Amtrak train pulled up beside the first on the southbound track. Passengers were seen transferring to the other train.
The train arrived at Haverhill Station at 12:40 p.m. but Amtrak’s tracking system shows it never reached the next scheduled stop in Exeter.
The Essex District Attorney’s Office does not suspect foul play at this time, but the crash remains under investigation.
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