Leslie Cipriani of Roanoke Rapids said the tractor-trailer backed up several times Monday as the driver tried to make the turn.
A few minutes later, she said she heard the sound of the oncoming train and saw the cross bars hit the tractor-trailer. The driver then jumped out of the truck.
Cipriani shot video of the noontime crash on her telephone. She says a law enforcement officer was at the scene before it happened, but it wasn't clear whether the officer was there to help the tractor-trailer turn or because he knew the train was coming.
Authorities say several people received minor injuries.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
An Amtrak train hit a tractor-trailer that stalled on railroad tracks in North Carolina, toppling the engine onto its side and injuring several people, officials said Monday.
Halifax County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Bruce Temple said the accident happened around noon in the town of Halifax.
The first two cars of the train derailed after the collision, Temple said. The North Carolina Department of Transportation said in a news release that the other car that derailed was a baggage car.
Several people were hurt, though the transportation agency said the injuries were minor. The agency also said no deaths were reported.
It was not immediately clear how many people may have been hurt.
Sheriff's Major Scott Hall said from the crash scene that some passengers were taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but others were able to climb aboard a shuttle bus to be taken for examination.
The Amtrak train was the Carolinian, which runs between Charlotte, North Carolina, and New York each day. It was headed north to New York City at the time of the crash.
AP PHOTO
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