UPDATED 7/30/2024 @ 1:19 p.m.:
Georgia State Patrol (GSP) confirms that a collision between a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and a train occurred on Eighth Street in Lula at 7:10 a.m.
The driver of the Silverado, 45-year-old Christpher Green of Mount Airy, was stopped at an active railroad crossing with the crossing arms down and red stop lights flashing.
A northbound train cleared the intersection and stopped, causing the arms to remain down.
Officials say Green thought that the arms were remaining lowered because the train stopped too close to the intersection.
Green then decided to drive around the arms to cross the tracks. As he did that, a southbound train struck his truck causing it to spin out and land in a ditch next to the tracks.
While rotating, Green’s 19-year-old son Keller Green was ejected out of the rear windshield and landed in a ditch near the truck.
All occupants, including 47-year-old Edgar Alejandro Castro Michel of Alto, were transported for medical conditions.
Christpher and Michel had minor injuries, while Keller sustained serious injuries.
GSP says that charges against Christpher are pending.
Officials in Banks County are investigating a reported collision between an Amtrak train and a pickup truck Tuesday morning.
A social media post from the Banks County Sheriff's Office said the collision was at the 8th Street crossing near Ga. 52. Photos submitted by eyewitnesses show a heavily damaged black pickup truck near the railroad tracks.
Authorities have not confirmed if anyone was injured in the collision. The cause of the wreck is reportedly under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol.
The crash left the roadway at least partially blocked for several hours. The Banks County Sheriff's Office confirmed it fully re-opened around 11:00 a.m.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
