It's a tragic event that's hard to believe just three days after Veterans Day. At 4:40 p.m. in Midland, Texas, a train crash completely devastated a parade honoring wounded veterans. Four were killed and 17 injured. Seven of those injured are in critical condition and 10 are in stable condition, according to Huffington Post.
A semi-truck pulling a number of veterans and their spouses on a flatbed trailer was hit by an eastbound train. It was the last of the parade floats crossing the West Texas tracks before it was hit. The big question on the minds of everyone is, how could the truck have risked crossing the tracks if a speeding train was coming towards it?
Everyone on the trailer was making their way to a banquet honoring wounded vets. The banquet was to end with a whitetail-deer hunt for the veterans over the weekend. All events have been canceled.
According to Union Pacific spokesman, Tom Lange, the railroad crossing gates and lights were operating at the time of accident. The two-person crew weren't harmed in the train crash, but are extremely traumatized. Lange said a "very thorough investigation" will be conducted.
With the Thanksgiving holiday next week, this will be devastating for the families and everyone involved. What's just as heart wrenching is having those veterans who served their country in dangerous areas around the world get killed or injured at an event honoring them in the U.S..
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