Seven killed as New York train hits vehicle

A commuter train has hit a vehicle at a level crossing north of New York City, killing at least seven people and injuring 12, officials say.

 The train, with regarding 800 passengers on board, hit the auto Cherokee close to Valhalla - regarding twenty miles (32km) from the big apple - on Tuesday evening.

The vehicle's feminine driver was killed, at the side of six folks on the train, the big apple Governor Apostle Cuomo aforesaid.

The automobile and front carriage of the train caught hearth following the crash.

The packed passenger train had left Grand Central Station in the big apple town and was heading to Wassaic in south-east the big apple State.

The crossing gates at the railroad had return down on high of the vehicle, that had stopped on the tracks, Metro-North Railroad voice Aaron Donovan aforesaid.

The driver got dead set scrutinize the injury, and so returned into the automobile to drive forward before it absolutely was hit by the train. It pushed the vehicle quite 120m (400ft).

It is not however clear why the vehicle stalled on the tracks.

As a result of the collision the electrified third rail of the track came through the front carriage of the train.
Passengers had to escape from the rear of the train.
Mr Cuomo, who visited the site of the crash, said he witnessed "a truly ugly and brutal sight".
He added: "When you look at the damage done, it's actually amazing that not more people were hurt."
Passenger Justin Kaback told ABC News: "I was trapped. It was definitely scary - especially when people are walking by on the outside and said 'The train's on fire'."
Another passenger, Jamie Wallace, said passengers had started to panic and shout for a fire extinguisher as flames spread to his carriage.

Passenger Neil Rader told NBC that some passengers had managed to flee the train by breaking glass on the doors to get out, adding: "I've never seen anything quite like it."
Hundreds were taken to a local rock climbing gym following the crash.
Parts of the railroad remain closed on Wednesday.
Metro-North is the second-busiest railroad in the US, serving about 280,000 passengers a day in New York and Connecticut.
Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued rulings on five accidents that occurred on the railroad in 2013 and 2014, criticising Metro-North while also finding conditions had improved.