A father and son have been killed when a train crashed into their vehicle after the driver tried to beat the train across tracks near Robards, said Henderson County Sheriff Chip Stauffer.
“They tried to beat the train at the crossing,” he said.
The driver, Basten Johnson, 60, and passenger, Basi Johnson, 35, both of Orlanda, Fla., were pronounced dead at the scene by the Henderson County Coroner, said a release from the sheriff’s office.
Stauffer said the crash occurred at the intersection of Busby Station Road and Cherry Hill Road. According to the release, the crash occurred at about 6:40 a.m. “when a northbound train struck a black Mercedez-Benz that had pulled into its path.”
Stauffer said the Johnsons were workers with one of the solar companies in the area.
The crossing does not have crossing arms or flashing lights, the sheriff said.
The incident remains under investigation by the Henderson county Sheriff’s Office, said the release.
Emergency crews from the Henderso County Rescue Squad, Robards Fire Department, Deaconess EMS and the coroner’s office all responded and assisted at the scene, said the release.
