One of the victims of a collision between a train and an ambulance in Langley Friday morning has died, according to local police.
Langley RCMP confirmed Saturday that the victim -- an elderly woman who was a passenger in the ambulance at the time of the collision -- died shortly after arriving at hospital.
Two people were airlifted from the scene at 216th Street and Glover Road after a train slammed into an ambulance at a railway crossing.
A witness told CTV News the ambulance appeared to be stuck on the tracks while the train was barreling toward it.
“We heard the train laying on the horn for about 200 metres probably,” said Tyson Hunter.
Hunter said the ambulance driver seemed to be struggling to get around the retractable barricade at the train crossing before the crash.
“The ambulance was trying to inch forward,” he said. “His back end was still on the track and the train cranked him and he spun right around, almost 360 [degrees].”
After the incident, the RCMP said an attendant in the rear of the ambulance was in stable condition and a patient who was being transported was in critical condition.
On Saturday RCMP Cpl. Holly Largy said the ambulance driver had been released from hospital, while the paramedic who had been riding in the back remained in stable condition.
Nearby roads were closed in all directions while emergency crews responded to the crash, and motorists were told to avoid the area.
Investigators are continuing to work with Canadian Pacific rail police and the National Transportation Safety Board, completing a mechanical analysis of the ambulance and reviewing available video.
Anyone who witnessed the collision and hasn't spoken to police is asked to contact the Langley RCMP detachment at 604-532-3200.
With files from The Canadian Press
