BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A quiet overnight hour turned to tragedy early Friday when a minivan drove around a lowered railroad crossing arm and was struck by a freight train, killing two Birmingham women and sending four children to the hospital, authorities report.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Carolyn Elaine Berry, 47, and Aldereka Laqulla Ikes, 36. Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates confirmed both women were pronounced dead at the scene at 2:34 a.m., their deaths deemed immediate following the collision at the crossing in the 1000 block of 24th Street S.W.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:46 a.m. According to preliminary information from authorities, the minivan entered the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing despite activated warning signals and the descending safety arm. Moments later, it was struck by the train.
“The vehicle drove around the crossing arm,” a law enforcement official stated, summarizing the early findings. The force of the impact caused catastrophic damage to the minivan.
In the devastating aftermath, first responders faced a harrowing scene. Alongside the two fatalities, four children were extricated from the vehicle and rushed via emergency transport to Children’s of Alabama hospital. Their ages, conditions, and the severity of their injuries have not been disclosed by authorities, who cited privacy for the families involved. No injuries were reported among the train crew.
The incident triggered a large-scale emergency response, shutting down the area for hours as police, fire crews, and investigators documented the scene and cleared wreckage from the tracks. The train remained stopped as part of the investigation.
The crucial question of why the driver circumvented the safety barrier now forms the center of an active, multi-faceted investigation. Authorities indicated they will scrutinize the functionality of the crossing signals, data from the train’s recording devices, and seek witness accounts to reconstruct the moments leading to the crash.
The sudden deaths of Berry and Ikes have sent waves of grief through their families and the broader community. As loved ones mourn, the focus also remains intensely on the four injured children fighting to recover.
The Norfolk Southern Railway and local authorities are cooperating in the ongoing investigation. Officials have asked anyone with information about the incident or the vehicle’s movements prior to the crash to come forward.
This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of heeding railroad crossing warnings. As the community holds its breath for updates on the children’s conditions, a painful search for answers begins.
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