3 killed, 2 injured after Amtrak train collides with vehicle in California

Three people were killed and two others injured on Sunday after an Amtrak train crashed into a vehicle obstructing rail tracks near Brentwood, California, officials said.

The East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District said the incident occurred around 1 p.m. after a car carrying five people was struck by a train while trying to cross the tracks at an unprotected railroad crossing.

Three people killed at the scene, while two others, including a child, were injured, according to the fire service, based in San Jose, California. One person was flown by air ambulance to the hospital, while the child was transported over ground to the same hospital, it said.

The Contra Costa Sheriff's office is handling an investigation into the deadly incident, according to the fire service.

Amtrak confirmed that train 713 had made contact with a vehicle that was blocking the track in Knightsen, in a statement shared with NBC News. There were no reported injuries to the 89 passengers or crew onboard the train. The train was delayed for around three hours while authorities investigated the incident, Amtrak said.

The company said it was working with local law enforcement and BNSF Railway to investigate the incident.

Amtrak did not make a statement on the deaths related to the incident.

It said that trespassing along railroad rights-of-way was the leading cause of rail deaths in America, while railroad crossing incidents were the second leading cause, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

These incidents can affect everyone involved - those who are injured or die, our train crews, and our passengers, Amtrak said.

They also serve as reminders about the importance of obeying the law and exercising extreme caution around railroad tracks and crossings, it said.

In April of this year, two people were killed in Houston after the car they were in crashed into an Amtrak train after the driver tried to beat the train at a railroad crossing.

The driver of the vehicle drove around the crossing arms signaling an approaching train, before colliding with the train, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The driver and passenger were ejected from the vehicle and were engulfed in flames on impact. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.