WSDOT
An Amtrak train derailed Monday morning in Washington state, partly falling into traffic on Interstate 5, killing at least six people. The incident occurred near Mounts Road in Pierce County, and the dangling train car has caused the southbound lane of Interstate 5 to be shut down. Officials described a “major emergency response” to the scene, and later said that fatalities were apparent upon first responding to the scene. Amtrak identified the train as No. 501, operating between Seattle and Portland, and confirmed that 78 passengers and 5 crew members were aboard. KOMO reported that the train had “just begun using a new high-speed route Monday morning,” and that “Lakewood city officials had earlier expressed fears that the new route would cause serious accidents.” The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that the train was moving at 81 miles per hour, nearing maximum speed, when it came off the tracks.