A devastating collision between a van and a freight train in Mississippi has claimed the lives of five people, including a mother and her two adult daughters. The tragic incident occurred on Friday afternoon at a railroad crossing in Wiggins, Mississippi, which local residents have long described as dangerously inadequate.
Victims Identified in the Fatal Wreck
The Stone County Sheriff's Office confirmed the identities of those killed. Kristina Carver, 45, and her daughters Emley Chamblee, 22, and Sarabeth Chamblee, 20, were among the van passengers who perished. Also killed were Ryan C. Peterson, 26, a corrections officer with the Harrison County Sheriff's Department who was reportedly in a relationship with Carver, and Demarcus Perkins, 23.
A sixth passenger, a 23-year-old woman, survived the crash with injuries. She was airlifted to a hospital in New Orleans for emergency treatment. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported among the crew or passengers aboard the Canadian Pacific Kansas City freight train involved in the collision.
First Responders Face Challenging Access
Emergency crews faced significant difficulties reaching the wreckage site, located approximately 45 miles northwest of Biloxi. First responders were forced to cut through dense woodland to access the scene where the van and train collided just off Highway 49. The northbound lanes of the highway were temporarily closed but reopened by around 4 p.m. on Friday.
A History of Danger at the Crossing
Local residents immediately pointed to the hazardous nature of the railroad crossing, which lacks essential safety features like gates or warning lights. "This is about seven or eight train wrecks here in the last five years," said Ella Hall, who lives near the crash site. "So when you hear the noise, you know what it is."
Pam Olsen, another local, recounted hearing a loud bang while working in her yard with her husband. "I told my husband a train hit another vehicle," she said. "My husband ran up there and said, 'Pam, it's bad.'"
A Pattern of Fatal Collisions
Shockingly, this is not an isolated incident at this particular crossing. Multiple fatal collisions have been recorded at the same intersection in recent years:
- On February 26 of this year, a pickup truck driver died after being airlifted to hospital following a collision with a train at the same spot.
- In 2023, a woman died and three others were injured in another crash at this crossing.
Stone County Sheriff Todd Stewart revealed the alarming frequency of such tragedies: "This'd be the second incident in the last four to five weeks involving fatalities and the third incident in the last year, all involving fatalities. To date, we've lost seven folks within the last year."
Safety Improvements Proposed but Delayed
County officials have proposed installing crossing arms and alarm systems at the dangerous tracks, but implementation could take at least a year. The Canadian Pacific Kansas Company, which operates the railway, stated that the incident is under investigation by the Stone County Sheriff's Office.
"Our most sincere condolences go out to the families of the victims of this tragedy," the company told ABC News in a statement.
The Daily Mail has contacted both the Stone County Sheriff's Office and Canadian Pacific Kansas City for further comment on the crash and the ongoing safety concerns at the crossing.
