An Amtrak train ran off the tracks earlier today on a bridge over an interstate in Tacoma, Washington. At least three people have been killed in the accident, and 72 others rushed to local hospitals with various injuries.
According to the Washington State Patrol, 13 of the 12-car-two-engine train derailed, some of them going over the edge and falling down to the interstate running below. The derailed cars hit five vehicles and two semi trucks on the busy highway below, injuring several of the drivers.
The search for injured passengers and crew concluded on Monday night, and the southbound lanes of the I-5 are expected to be closed through Tuesday morning.
The cause of the derailment are unclear at this point, but local officials earlier this month had said that they were concerned about the speeds on the new train route.
The new route included a bypass over the I-5, as well as upgrades to the track that allowed maximum speeds of up to 79 mph the new Amtrak Cascades route between Portland and Seattle.
Predictably, Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, jumped into the conversation to push his own agenda – the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that everyone’s been waiting on details for, for several months now:
The train accident that just occurred in DuPont, WA shows more than ever why our soon to be submitted infrastructure plan must be approved quickly. Seven trillion dollars spent in the Middle East while our roads, bridges, tunnels, railways (and more) crumble! Not for long!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
10 minutes later, he felt it was appropriate to also show some sympathy, and tweeted this next message:
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the train accident in DuPont, Washington. Thank you to all of our wonderful First Responders who are on the scene. We are currently monitoring here at the White House.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2017
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