6 killed when train hits SUV in New York

Justin Kaback hardly felt a thing when the

commuter train he was riding smashed into a

vehicle that had attempted to cross the track

Tuesday night in Valhalla, north of New York City.

He didn't even know there had been an accident, or

that the crash would kill the driver -- a woman

whose Mercedes SUV was stopped on the track --

and five other people on the train.

The crash was the deadliest in Metro-North

Railroad's 32-year history, transit officials said.

Fifteen people were injured, "about nine" seriously,

Gov. Andrew Cuomo told CNN.

The governor's office and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday morning revised the 

total number of fatalities, initially reported as seven.

Kaback said he received no warning about the fire

about to ignite in the first car of the train.

The SUV's driver may have gotten out to see what

was holding it back, a rail official said. She got back

in the SUV and may have been trying to drive off the

tracks when the Metro-North Railroad train hit her

at about 7 p.m., the official said.

The northbound train, which had left New York

City's Grand Central terminal more than an hour

earlier, pushed the SUV 400 feet, said Westchester

County Executive Rob Astorino. The third rail was

pushed up from the track and rammed through the

entire first car of the train.

The scene was "horrific and unimaginable," Astorino

said. Engulfed by flames, the first rail car was a

melted and charred hulk.

"To think about what these commuters went through

when last night they got on the 5:45 train, probably

talked to somebody at home, saying they're on their

way and the world became upside down," Astorino

told reporters Wednesday.

All but one of the six fatalities were burned beyond

recognition, Astorino said. Dental records were being

used to identify the victims.

The crossing where the wreck occurred is "a little dangerous," the county executive said. Traffic had been

diverted to the area after an unrelated accident on a nearby highway.

"That's an area I think the state (Department of Transportation) needs to look at to see if we can

improve," he said.

Inspectors from the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The cause of the crash has yet to be determined, but Astorino said: "At this point, all indications from the

MTA at least is that it was not a problem with the tracks or anything. It was unfortunately human error

but that's part of the investigation."