Child killed when train hits minivan outside holiday display
COURTESY FRESNO BEE VIA AP
In this image from video, a firefighter inspects the scene where a small child was killed when a minivan was struck by a train while a family was waiting to enter a drive-thru Christmas lights display in Fresno, Calif., on Tuesday.
FRESNO, Calif. >> A 5-year-old boy was killed when a minivan was struck by a train while a family was waiting to enter a drive-through Christmas lights display in central California, police said.
The van with four people inside was stopped at an intersection in Fresno when it was hit by an Amtrak train Tuesday evening, police Lt. Andre Benson said.
Investigators are trying to determine how the vehicle got stuck on the tracks and whether the railroad crossing gate was operating correctly, Benson said.
The boy was identified by the Fresno County coroner’s office as 5-year-old Anton Solorio of Fresno, KFSN-TV reported.
Three other people in the van, including the boy’s mother, were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, the station reported.
None of the 50 passengers on the train was hurt.
At the time of the crash there was a long line of cars waiting to enter Christmas Tree Lane, a popular holiday display for nearly a century. It typically has been open for the public to walk along the road to see the festive lights. This year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the attraction is limited to vehicles driving through.
