Seven people, including four children, were tragically killed Wednesday evening in a town in upstate New York about 25 miles outside of Syracuse when a trailer detached from a tractor-trailer rig and hit a minivan.
According to NBC News, one man survived the crash which occurred in Truxton, however authorities confirmed that four young children were killed. There was no immediate word on the extent of the injuries of the eighth person who was taken to the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse to be treated.
The crash occurred when the van was hit by a trailer that broke away from a truck on Route 13 around 6 p.m. Wednesday in the rural town of Truxton. The two occupants of the tractor-trailer, which was hauling crushed cars for a salvage company, weren't injured in the accident.
The minivan was carrying two families which included four children under the age of 10 and three adults in their 20s who are now deceased, Cortland County Coroner Whitney Meeker told the Associated Press. One of the families was from Truxton, while the other lived nearby, said Meeker.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated. However, it was not known if weather played a role in the crash, considering thunderstorms in the area. Thousands were reported to be without power in the area after the storms swept through.
The Cortland County Sheriff's Office hadn't released the victims' names as of Thursday morning, but a dispatcher said the agency was to release more information later in the day.
Toute 13 remained closed until 1:20 a.m. Thursday as police investigated the crash and crews removed wreckage from the scene.
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