Trump talks to Ryan, says lawmakers doing 'good'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the accident involving a train carrying lawmakers to a policy retreat in West Virginia (all times local):
3:15 p.m.
President Donald Trump says he has spoken to House Speaker Paul Ryan after a train carrying Republican lawmakers to a retreat hit a truck on the tracks in Virginia.
The president says in the Oval Office that the lawmakers are "doing pretty good" and are "proceeding with their conference." Trump says he was told "it was a pretty rough hit."
The White House says one person was killed and another was seriously injured after the chartered train struck a garbage truck.
Trump is planning to address the Republican lawmakers Thursday at the conference at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
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Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee was injured Wednesday morning when a train taking Republican members of Congress to a retreat hit a garbage truck in Virginia.
The Republican said in a phone call from the scene, where he was being treated for his injuries, that he was on his way to the restroom when the crash occurred. He said he was thrown around upon impact and suffered neck, back and foot injuries.
Fleischmann said he was in a "bit of shock" and significant pain.
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2:30 p.m.
Staff members say Rep. Jason Lewis of Minnesota has been taken to a hospital after being injured in a train accident in Virginia.
Members of his staff tweeted that the first-term congressman was being checked for a possible concussion after the Wednesday crash.
Officials say the train was carrying Republican lawmakers from Washington to a retreat in West Virginia when it hit a truck on the tracks near Crozet, Virginia.
The White House is confirming one fatality and one serious injury after the chartered train hit a garbage truck.
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2 p.m.
Amtrak says two crew members and two passengers have been taken to a hospital with minor injuries after a train crash in Virginia.
Amtrak spokeswoman Beth K. Toll says the four were injured when the train hit a truck on the tracks Wednesday morning near Crozet, Virginia.
Police and a local hospital have given differing figures, but the reason for the discrepancies wasn't immediately clear.
The train was carrying Republican lawmakers to a conference at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
The accident happened at an intersection that crosses the tracks at the top of a hill where visibility is limited. There is a train arm at the crossing.
Crozet is a small town west of Charlottesville, which is home to the University of Virginia.
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1:55 p.m.
The organization that's hosting a retreat for congressional Republicans says the event will go on with an adjusted program in the wake of the train accident carrying participants to a West Virginia resort.
The Congressional Institute says the decision was made after consulting with Republican leaders.
The White House is confirming one fatality and one serious injury after the chartered train hit a garbage truck.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says there are no serious injuries among members of Congress or congressional staff.
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1:15 p.m.
A congressman on the train involved in an accident on its way to a GOP retreat in West Virginia says three lawmakers who are doctors tended to crash victims.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky says the collision destroyed a garbage truck, leaving it "just in pieces."
Comer says Reps. Larry Bucshon of Indiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas and Brad Wenstrup of Ohio came to the aid of crash victims before emergency personnel — including a transport helicopter — arrived.
The train was en route to a conference at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and hit the truck in Crozet, Virginia — which is near west of Charlottesville.
Comer says lawmakers, spouses, and aides had been on the train for about two hours when suddenly there was a crash. The impact made him jump out of his seat.
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12:40 p.m.
An Amtrak spokeswoman says a train has come into contact with a vehicle on the tracks in central Virginia — the same area where members of Congress are reporting their train struck a truck.
Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods says there are no reported injuries to passengers or crew members after the incident that happened around 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia. Crozet is about 15 miles west of Charlottesville.
Woods says the train originated in Washington, but she couldn't confirm that members of Congress were aboard.
She says local law enforcement is investigating and crews are inspecting equipment for damage.
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12:35 p.m.
The White House is confirming one fatality and one serious injury after a chartered train carrying Republican lawmakers to a retreat in West Virginia hit a garbage truck.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says there are no serious injuries among members of Congress or congressional staff.
Sanders says President Donald Trump has been fully briefed on the matter and is receiving regular updates.
The train carrying the lawmakers hit a garbage truck south of Charlottesville, Virginia.
Lawmakers are heading to their annual legislative retreat at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
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Updated: 12:00 p.m. on January 31, 2018
WASHINGTON (AP) — A chartered train carrying dozens of GOP lawmakers to a Republican policy retreat in West Virginia struck a garbage truck in a rural Virginia town on Wednesday. No lawmakers or aides were reported injured, but the White House said one person was killed and another was seriously injured.
Lawmakers said the fatality appeared to be someone who was in the truck. One lawmaker who was aboard the train, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said the vehicle had been ripped in half and said he saw a person wrapped in a tarp and said emergency workers appeared to be "putting a body away."
Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods says there were no reported injuries to passengers or crew members after the incident, which happened around 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia. Crozet is about 15 miles west of Charlottesville.
Cole said he felt "a tremendous jolt" when the accident occurred at about 11:15 a.m. EST, nearly two hours after it left Washington headed to the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The policy retreat, an annual event, is scheduled to last three days and feature speeches from President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Cole said the train stopped quickly after impact. He said several GOP lawmakers who are doctors got off the train to assist, including Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, who was also at last June's shooting of Republicans at a baseball practice in nearby Alexandria, Virginia, and treated some of the victims.
Other doctor-lawmakers who helped included Reps. Michael Burgess, of Texas, Phil Roe of Tennessee, Larry Bucshon of Indiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
Cassidy later tweeted that there were three people on the truck and "one is dead."
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was on the train and was unhurt, aides said.
Today’s incident was a terrible tragedy. We are grateful for the first responders who rushed to the scene and we pray for the victims and their families. May they all be in our thoughts right now.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) January 31, 2018
Jim Sensenbrenner, Glenn Grothman, and Sean Duffy were also on the train and uninjured. CBS 58 has confirmed Congressman Mike Gallagher and Senator Ron Johnson were not on board.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Donald Trump was briefed on the accident.
"There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury," but no injuries to lawmakers or their staffs, she said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident," Sanders said.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said about 100 Republican lawmakers were on the train when the crash occurred, which made him jump out of his seat.
"I looked out the side of the window and then I could see a truck, just in pieces out the side of the window," Comer said. "It was a garbage truck that was apparently, I would assume, trying to cross the tracks."
Comer said Capitol Police quickly jumped off the train, but came back and asked for any doctors to help. Comer said U.S. Reps. and Brad Wenstrup — all medical doctors — rushed to help, including performing CPR on one person.
A GOP aide said the train seemed partially derailed.
It was not clear when lawmakers would resume their trip to their retreat.
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(CNN) -- A train carrying members of Congress to their legislative retreat in West Virginia, hit a truck Wednesday, multiple sources told CNN.
One GOP source was unsure how many members of Congress were on the train or how many people were injured, but said there were injuries.
That source said members "hit the deck."
Republican members of Congress were on their way to a retreat at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia starting Wednesday and ending Friday. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to speak to members later Wednesday and President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the event tomorrow.
A GOP aide said that none of the lawmakers on the train were injured.
Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman tweeted that he was on the train, but is unharmed.
I was on the train this morning, but I'm unharmed. Please keep the driver of the truck in your prayers.
— Rep. Glenn Grothman (@RepGrothman) January 31, 2018
Congressmen Sensenbrenner and Duffy were also on the train and are okay. CNN is reporting that Paul Ryan was on the train too and is not harmed.
Rachel, the kids, and I are okay but we are awaiting more details and praying for those who were in the truck
— Sean Duffy (@RepSeanDuffy) January 31, 2018
Senator Ron Johnson was not on the train.
The train left from Union Station in Washington earlier Wednesday.
Amtrak released a statement that said there were no reported injuries to passengers or crew members: