TAMPA, FLORIDA: In a heart-wrenching incident that unfolded on Saturday, September 23, a train collision with an Escalade SUV at a private railroad crossing, located approximately 20 miles west of Tampa, Florida, resulted in the loss of six lives.
Guillermo Gama III, a 23-year-old passenger in the vehicle, is the sole survivor but remains in critical condition at Lakeland Regional Hospital.
How did the crash happen?
The tragic accident occurred on a sunny Florida afternoon, forever altering the lives of the individuals involved and their families.
The ill-fated Escalade SUV, driven by 52-year-old Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, was transporting a total of seven passengers, including Hernandez's wife, Enedalia, and their three children - Julian, 9, Alyssa, 17, and Anaelia, 22. Also in the vehicle was Jakub Lopez, 17, a friend of one of the siblings.
The private railroad crossing, bereft of protective barriers and equipped only with a stop sign to warn of oncoming trains, became the site of the harrowing tragedy. According to law enforcement, the Escalade "crawled across the railroad crossing" without coming to a halt or checking for approaching trains.
Jose Guadalupe Hernandez initially survived the impact, but he succumbed to his injuries overnight while receiving medical care at a local hospital, according to police reports.
The impact of the collision was so severe that it ejected five passengers, including Hernandez's wife and children, from the vehicle. Tragically, all of them lost their lives at the scene. Lopez, a friend of one of the siblings, also perished in the crash.
Community support and mourning
Guillermo Gama, the boyfriend of Anaelia Hernandez and a passenger in the front of the SUV, miraculously survived the collision as the sole survivor of this heart-wrenching tragedy. In the wake of this devastating accident, a GoFundMe campaign was initiated by Gama's aunt to support him during his critical condition.
"On Saturday 9/23/23 my nephew Guillermo E. (Gordo/Doorbell) Gama III was involved in a fatal train wreck that stole the lives of an entire family," the fundraiser states. "The deceased victims were [Gama's] girlfriend, parents, 2 siblings, and a friend of one of the siblings." The campaign had raised $7,000 of its $50,000 goal at the time of publication.
"The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is heartbroken to share the latest update regarding the fatal train versus vehicle crash investigation," a spokesperson for the office said. "The driver involved in the crash succumbed to his injuries and passed away overnight."
"[Hernandez] was driving his white 2020 Cadillac Escalade southbound on Jim Lefler Circle from US Highway 92, approaching a railroad crossing controlled by a stop sign and a railroad crossing sign," officers continued.
"Hernandez had six other passengers in the Escalade, including his wife, two juvenile children, an adult child, and two friends of the children. For unknown and undetermined reasons, the driver slowly crossed the tracks directly in the train's path. Five rear passengers were ejected from the Escalade as it rotated and rolled to final rest," they added.
Desperate efforts end in tragedy
Sheriff Chad Chronister, who visited the scene, described the Escalade as being crushed and deformed to a point resembling "a soft drink can that has been smashed," leaving debris scattered throughout the area.
The footage also captures the frantic efforts of the train conductor, who activated loud horns and flashing lights in a desperate attempt to alert the vehicle's occupants to the impending danger. Despite these efforts, the train couldn't avoid colliding with the Escalade, ABC News reported.
One witness, who was crossing the little-traveled railroad crossing at the time of the accident, reported honking his horn to draw the driver's attention as the SUV proceeded towards the birthday party, located just across the tracks. However, the collision was imminent, and the SUV suffered a violent rollover, landing a significant distance from the railroad crossing.
Sheriff Chronister and the first responders who arrived at the scene were "visibly shaken" by the horrific nature of the incident. "It's that horrible of a scene," he lamented.
