3 men, 2 women in their 20s killed after South Shore train hits vehicle in Gary, police say

GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- Three men and two women were killed after a South Shore train struck an SUV Wednesday night, Gary police said.

Family members say three of the five victims were siblings, and they were headed back home when police said the vehicle went past active crossing gates while a train was coming.

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The crash occurred near Highway 20 and Utah Street in Gary just before 10:10 p.m.

A witness told police the crossing gate was down, and the driver went around it to beat the train.

It appeared the train may have also have been damaged in the crash.

The Lake County, Indiana Coroner's Office identified the victims as De'Mario Craig, 24, of Gary; Maurice Parrish, 20, of Gary; Sherise Parrish, 20, of Gary; Latianna King, 20, of Gary; and Bryon Towns, 21, of Gary.

"Devastating," relative Altonio Goldsby said. "They traumatized. I know they'll never be the same again. Never. Since yesterday, no sleep, no rest."

The coroner's office said all five suffered multiple blunt force injuries due to the train crash, and deemed the incident an accident.

The wreckage is now a chilling reminder for a Gary, Indiana family.

Goldsby is a distant relative of De'Mario Craig and Craig's twin younger siblings, Maurice and Sherise Parrish. He said the brothers and sister were traveling in an SUV, along with De'Mario's girlfriend, Latianna King, and Sherise's boyfriend, Bryon Towns, the father to her four-month-old daughter.

"So, this is a life lesson learned for many," Goldsby said. "It ain't worth it."

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"I was just getting out of the shower, and I heard a loud boom. And then I just heard a lot of commotion," Gary resident Othos said. "I heard some people talking, some concerned people over there. And then, when I came out, that's when I heard what really happened. We're praying for the families and everyone affected by this."

Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said five people were ejected from the SUV and all died on scene.

"If you see an active train crossing, meaning that they bells and whistles, lights are flashing, crossing gates are down, please don't even attempt to look to see if there is an active train going," Chief Cannon said. "We have what we determined, what we believe to be three males and two females. It was a lot of massive injuries going on; there was a lot of massive carnage... The vehicle, the wreckage was very severe."

Video from the scene after showed the mangled wreckage on a tow truck. The front of the train was also damaged.

There were passengers on the train at the time, but they were not injured.

South Shore service was temporarily suspended, but was running again Thursday morning.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District is now handling the investigation into the crash.

The South Shore Line said in a statement, "Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic incident.

"We remind everyone to never attempt to cross railroad tracks when signals are activated, and to always expect a train on any track from any direction at any time.

"South Shore Line services were temporarily suspended following the incident, but normal operations have since resumed. We will continue to cooperate fully with local authorities during their ongoing investigation."

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton released the following statement:
"On behalf of the City of Gary, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost a loved one in this devastating event. As we grieve this profound loss, I urge all residents to remain vigilant and exercise caution at every railroad crossing. Never attempt to go around lowered gates or ignore warning signals. Trains can approach from any direction, on any track, and at any time."

"Coroner David J. Pastrick would like to thank his staff, all the agencies involved during this traumatic call for their teamwork, support, and give sincere Condolences and prayers for all the families," the coroner's office said in a statement.