Woman dead, kids injured by train hitting truck in Oregon

CULVER, Ore. – A 52-year-old Madras woman has died and three children were injured after the woman drove a pickup truck into the path of an oncoming train in central Oregon.

The Bulletin of Bend reported that Lourdes Perez on Thursday stopped her pickup truck at railroad tracks north of Culver and pulled into the path of a northbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe train.

Two 10-year-old girls were in the pickup at the time of the crash. They were treated and released from nearby hospitals. A 7-year-old boy remains hospitalized and officials said he is in fair condition.

Investigators said they believe Perez became distracted by a two-car collision on the other side of the tracks and failed to notice the train.