<p>A memorial service was held Tuesday for three Bainbridge College students and their driving instructor were killed during a truck-driving class when their 18-wheeler was hit by a train and burst into flames.</p><p>More than 100 people attended the service the day after the tragedy that struck to the heart of the two-year college and this southwest Georgia community.</p><p>The CSX train struck the cab of the truck Monday afternoon in the nearby town of Climax and pushed the mangled, burning wreckage about 700 feet before it could stop, Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin said.</p><p>Chief Deputy Jim Morris said witnesses saw the truck come to a stop at the railroad crossing, then jump in front of the train.</p><p>"It just kind of jumped, like maybe a foot slipped off the clutch or something," he said, adding that investigators have yet to determine the cause of the accident.</p><p>Investigators said Tuesday that there were indications of "distracted driving," but they would not elaborate.</p><p>The cab of the truck burst into flames, which spread to the grass along the track and the train engine. One of the two engineers had burns on his arms and a gash on his forehead and was taken for treatment, the Post-Searchlight of Bainbridge reported.</p><p>The victims were identified as Laura Jenson, 38, of Bainbridge, the instructor; Debra Martin, 40, Jamie Holmes, 34, both of Cairo; and Michael Raley, 46, of Colquitt.</p><p>Witnesses said at least one passer-by attempted to rescue the victims, but was driven back by the flames.</p><p>"It was really horrific," said Renate Volz, who photographed the burning wreckage after coming upon the accident while traveling on U.S. 84. "There was fire and flames. It was a horrible sight."</p><p>Ann Salter, who lives nearby, said she heard the impact, saw smoke billowing into the sky and arrived just as the truck's cab burst into flames.</p><p>"I watched the people perish," she said. "There was a scream. There was nothing left of them, just a grave _ cremation."</p><p>Salter said rescue workers arrived immediately and began battling the flames.</p><p>"They had body bags, but they didn't have anything to put in them," she said. "It was very traumatic. It's something terrible to happen in this little community."</p><p>Climax, a southwest Georgia town of about 300, is located 15 miles north of the Florida line between Bainbridge and Cairo.</p><p>The tractor trailer turned off the highway just before 4 p.m. and was heading north on Georgia 262.</p><p>Bainbridge College, a two-year school with an enrollment of about 1,300 students, offers academic programs and is the only University System of Georgia college to offer commercial truck driving.</p><p>The students were participating in the school's commercial driver's license program, college spokeswoman Marcie Miller said. Climax is about nine miles east of Bainbridge.</p><p>"We are grieving this loss, and our hearts and prayers go out to the families," Miller said.</p><p>The Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, which has 34 colleges around the state, also offers truck driving classes at 21 schools and their rigs are a common sight in many towns.</p><p>Morris, the chief deputy, said he sees the Bainbridge College students participating in the class on the roads every day. They learn to drive the trucks at an abandoned airport before taking to the road for more detailed instruction, he said.</p><p>"This is a terrible tragedy for the campus and the community," University System of Georgia Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathy is extended to the families of those who were lost."</p><p>Safety programs have greatly reduced fatal crashes at railroad crossings since the 1970s. Between May 2003 and May 2004, Georgia had two accidents and two deaths, compared with 13 accidents and seven deaths nationwide, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.</p>
