A truck hauling crushed cars through Truxton, New York lost its trailer on Wednesday night after it became disconnected, causing a devastating crash that killed seven people inside a minivan.
The van was carrying people from two families, including four children under the age of ten. Authorities say they don’t know what caused the trailer to disconnect from the truck; the weight of the transport sent it careening into the van, tearing it apart.
Cortland County Coroner Whitney Meeker said there was one survivor in the deadly crash who was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, but the identities of those involved haven’t been released. The two people inside the truck were unharmed.
The fire commissioner, Douglas Randall, said he was directing traffic around the site of the crash when he saw family members arrive at the horrific scene.
“They were all meeting down the road at a family member’s house,” he said. “They were all hysterical.”
There were reportedly storms–including some with hail–in the area yesterday, but officials haven’t commented on whether that was a factor in the accident.