5 teens killed by train at level crossing

CANTON, Mich., July 9 (UPI) -- A teenage driver bypassed gates at a level crossing in Michigan and was hit by an Amtrak train Thursday afternoon, killing all five in the car, police said.

The crash in Canton between Dearborn and Ann Arbor was videotaped by a security camera at a business near the crossing, WDIV-TV, Detroit. reported. The tape shows the driver drove around an SUV already stopped at the crossing as well as bypassing the gates.

The dead were described as four young men aged 17 and 18 and a 14-year-old girl. Police said removing the bodies took about three hours.

The train was heading to Chicago from Detroit. One passenger told the TV station he heard the train whistle before every road crossing, and another said she heard it just before the crash.

The warning equipment at the crossing, including flashing lights and gates, appeared to be working, police said.

The train was carrying about 170 passengers, including 15 blind people accompanied by Seeing Eye dogs, who were returning from a convention in Detroit.