One of the teenagers seriously hurt in a Wednesday morning crash involving a train and a van in Flowery Branch has died from his injuries.
Sgt. Auston Allen with the Georgia State Patrol said the victim was the front-seat passenger in a van that became stuck on the train track on Lights Ferry Road and Atlanta Highway at 6:59 a.m.
"Traffic had backed up across the train track," Allen said. "The van had stopped behind traffic with the front portion of his van across the track. The train was approaching and the signal arms did go down...on top of a ladder. The van had a ladder rack on top."
Allen said the driver of the van, identified as Jose Gomez, 45, of Norcross, got out of the van to try to free the ladder.
"He got out to try to manipulate the arm off of his van," Allen said. "With the approaching train, he eventually gave up and stepped back from the vehicle and a collision occurred."
Allen said the two passengers, both from Lawrenceville, were inside the van at the time of the crash; they were not wearing seat belts and suffered serious injuries. The front seat passenger, identified as Kevin Perez, 16, later died from his injuries. The back seat passenger, Alexander Gonzalez-Perez, 17, suffered broken bones and other injuries, but he is expected to survive, according to Allen.
Allen said Gomez did not know either of his passengers.
"This gentleman, Mr. Gomez, picked up various people to take them to a job site," Allen said. He did not know where Gomez was going Wednesday morning.
Gomez has been charged with vehicular homicide in the second degree and improper stopping on a railroad track. He was booked into the Hall County Detention Center.
Original story 7:47 a.m.
Two people have suffered serious injuries in a crash involving a van and a train in Flowery Branch.
Hall County Fire Division Chief Zachary Brackett said the accident happened just before 7 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Lights Ferry Road and Atlanta Highway.
"Arriving units found a van that had been struck by a northbound Norfolk Southern train," Brackett said in an email statement. "Three occupants were in the vehicle, one occupant was able to exit the vehicle prior to being struck. Two male occupants were transported by Hall County Fire Services with serious injuries."
Flowery Branch Police Chief David Spillers encouraged motorists to take Gaines Ferry Road or Radford Road as alternate traffic routes.
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the crash.
