The MTA has released the identities of two of the three people killed in a Westbury train crash Tuesday night.
Miguel Angel Jimenez Luna was 36, and Saul Martinez Caravantes was 28. The identity of a third occupant is pending DNA tests. According to the manager of a local grocery story, the three worked together and were friends. The manager declined to give any more information.
Nassau County Police say the car was struck after fleeing another accident seconds before. Police say a witness saw the car swerve around the railroad gates, get hit by a slow moving eastbound train and then get struck again by a much faster westbound train.
“We cannot repeat this enough: please do not try to beat the train. There is nothing so important and I think we saw that with just a very stark clarity last night,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran on Wednesday.
Law enforcement officials are still investigating the accident.
Meanwhile, New York State Senator Kevin Thomas of Garden City has proposed a bill that would install cameras at Long Island Rail Road crossings. Thomas said the bill would help law enforcement and the MTA hold drivers responsible when they fail to obey signals indicating that trains are approaching.
