The victims of a fatal collision between a family car and a Southern Railway passenger train Wednesday afternoon in Nanaimo, B.C., have been identified.
Rosane Miline Perreault, 44, and her common-law partner Lyle Brian Hall, 49, died from injuries sustained in the crash.
Their 14-year-old son was airlifted to BC Childrens Hospital Wednesday night. He remains in critical condition with a possible spinal injury.
RCMP Const. Gary O'Brien says the accident occurred at about 3 p.m. when the self-propelled passenger train slammed into the family's green Dodge Spirit at a Nanaimo crossing.
"It appears that the vehicle may have stopped with the nose hanging over the railway tracks," O'Brien said. "There may have been some confusion or panic on the part of the driver."
Mechanical inspections will determine whether the car may have stalled while the driver was trying to back up.
A high school-aged family member has been notified of the crash.
Witnesses say they train crossing's alarm bells were functioning at the time of the accident.
The train was transporting passengers from Courtenay to Victoria.
