WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Officials continue train wreck investigation
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HARDEEVILLE, SC (WTOC) - Authorities are still investigating a train accident that killed four people in Hardeeville Monday night.
The wreck happened around 9pm Monday at a crossing on Highway 46 heading out of downtown Hardeeville, just off Highway 17.
Officials say 33-year-old Jason Scott, 27-year-old Nancy Ratliff, 35-year-old Melissa Thomas and 12-year-old Taylor Arnsdorsf, were killed in the wreck.
See Four killed in Hardeeville train wreck.
"The whole community is in shock. This is like nothing that's ever happened to us before and it's devastating," said Hardeeville resident Cheryl Frasier.
Officials say the car went around the crossing gates as the lights were flashing when it was hit by the train.
"The engineer saw the vehicle and tried to apply the brakes, but a braking distance for trains can be one to two miles depending on the speed," said chief Richard Nagy with the Hardeeville Police Department.
The train hit the car's driver side at about 75 miles per hour then pushed it down the track before coming to stop.
"When we arrived on scene, the train had actually stopped about three quarters of a mile to a mile down the tracks. Accessibility was our biggest issue, getting down to them," said Hardeeville Fire Department chief Dan Morgan.
None of the 22 passengers on the train were hurt. The train was on its way to Savannah.
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