WEST INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Two people were killed Thursday afternoon when their vehicle drove through a railroad crossing with the gate lowered and collided with a train in Seneca County.
Ellen Atherton, 72, and Rex Atherton, 75, died at the scene of the crash on U.S. 224 about six miles south of Fostoria, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Ellen was driving a Kia Soul with Rex as the passenger northeast on the roadway at about 1:30 p.m. and went through a lowered railroad gate arm, according to the OSHP. The train then struck their vehicle and knocked it into a utility pole.
Stay up to date on what's happening in your community with a 24/7 live stream and on-demand content from WTOL 11+.
Our free WTOL 11+ apps are available on Roku and Firetv.
WTOL 11+ features the latest breaking news and weather, plus daily talk shows, coverage of your favorite sports teams from Locked On, fact-checking from VERIFY and the latest trending stories from Daily Blast Live.
Subscribe to WTOL 11 - https://bit.ly/32odAkM
Connect with us on social media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wtol11/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/WTOL11Toledo/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtol11toledo/
WTOL 11 newsletter - /email
WTOL 11 Weather app - https://bit.ly/37i4205
Want more from WTOL 11?
➡️ Download the WTOL 11 news app for Apple here or get it in the Google store here.
➡️ Get a fresh start to your morning and wrap up your day with the latest news and your WTOL 11 Weather forecast delivered right to your inbox!
WTOL 11's Your Morning Blast and Your Evening Blast deliver stories from northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan and beyond to keep you informed.
Click here to get on the list!