Overview
- The collision occurred around 8:16 p.m. Thursday at a crossing in Gautier as Amtrak Train 26 on the Mardi Gras Service traveled from New Orleans to Mobile with about 55 people aboard and no reported onboard injuries.
- Gautier police say the driver went around lowered crossing arms before the impact, and security video obtained by authorities shows an attempt to bypass the barrier, according to WSBT.
- Passenger accounts describe a jolt, a brief loss of lights, and evacuations from the last car before the train later resumed its trip.
- Media reports differ on the victim’s identity and age, with WKRG naming a 29-year-old Tavares Johnson Jr. and WDSU and WSBT reporting 40-year-old Tavarios Johnson.
- The train continued to Mobile after roughly a four-and-a-half hour delay, as Amtrak highlighted FRA data on crossing fatalities and its partnership with Operation Lifesaver on rail-safety education.