Two people died in a car-train collision in northwest Ohio on Thursday

FOSTORIA, Ohio – Two people were killed in a collision between a train and a car on U.S. 224, west of U.S. 23, Thursday afternoon.

Ellen Atherton, 72, and Rex Atherton, 75, both of Arlington, Ohio, died in the crash at about 1:30 p.m. in Loudon Township in Seneca County, according to officials with the Norwalk Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Police said their preliminary investigation revealed that a Kia Soul driven by Ellen Atherton was traveling northeast on U.S. 224 and crossed a sunken railroad line.
goal arm.

The Kia was struck by a northbound CSX train and forced off the left side of the road before crashing into a utility pole.

Ellen Atherton and her passenger, Rex Atherton, died at the scene of the accident, police said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Bascom Joint Fire District, Bascom EMS, Seneca County EMS, Seneca County Coroner’s Office, CSX Police Department, Seneca County Community Emergency Response Team and Keller Brothers Enterprise.

The accident is still being investigated, police said.