ELKTON, S.D. (KELO) — A collision between a train and a vehicle in the community of Elkton, S.D. killed two people on Friday, August 18. According to the railway, repairs to the line are still underway.
KELOLAND News reached out to Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCPE), the owners of the line, on Monday, asking for information regarding the crash.
According to RCPE spokesperson Tom Ciuba, the crash happened around 7:15 p.m. on Friday when the vehicle collided with the train at a highway-grade crossing with an activated warning device.
The crash resulted in the derailing of 16 railcars, 15 carrying soybean oil, and one which was empty.
Ciube says the derailment has been cleaned up, but that roughly 500 feet of track is being repaired. The line is expected to be reopened by the end of the day on Monday, August 21
The train crew was uninjured, but both the driver and passenger of the vehicle were killed. Ciuba says the RCPE team’s thoughts are with the loved ones of those killed.
KELOLAND News also reached out to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS), as the Highway Patrol are investigating the crash. We were referred to the news release on the crash sent Saturday, which outlined the basic details of the crash.
The release tells us that a 2011 Kia Sorrento crashed through the warning arm of the crossing and hit the train as it was crossing S.D. 13. The car caught fire and the driver and passenger were trapped inside.
The train derailed and hit a grain elevator. The names of those killed have not yet been released.
