
A train hauling Republican lawmakers to their annual retreat in West Virginia slammed into a truck hauling garbage that had stopped on the track Wednesday - leaving one dead.

The impact crunched the front of the train's engine, smashed the truck, and left one truck passenger dead and at least five hospitalized - including Rep. Jason Lewis of Minnesota who suffered a concussion.

University of Virginia Health System tweeted just after 1pm that one of the patients was in critical condition while the others were still being evaluated.

Amtrak said three of the injured were passengers and and two were crew.

Sen. Jeff Flake (Arizona) was among the many lawmakers who sprang into action to tend to the injured after the accident, helping carry one man on a stretcher.

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An Amtrak train chartered to take Republican lawmakers to their annual retreat in West Virginia on Wednesday crashed into a truck carrying trash - leaving one dead and multiple injured

Above, an aerial view of the crash scene on Wednesday near Crozet, Virginia

The above picture shows that the railway crossing arms were down on at least one side of the tracks on Wednesday

Rep. Jason Lewis was among five people hospitalized after the accident. He suffered a concussion. He's seen above being rolled away from the scene on a stretcher

Lewis, a representative from Minnesota, is pictured above attending a meeting at the Capital in October

Sen. Jeff Flake (second from left) helped move one of the injured to an ambulance

Flake is seen again on the far right surveying the scene after the crash on Wednesday

He said that there were three people in the truck, one who died and two others who were injured. None of the lawmakers on the train were seriously injured.

'It was a hard impact. It threw everybody up in the air a little. I don't think anybody on the train is seriously injured, but I may be wrong,' Flake told the Washington Post.

Several lawmakers who are doctors tended to the victims, including former podiatrist Rep. Brad Wenstrup (Ohio), former OBGYNs Rep. Michael Burgess (Texas) and Rep. Phil Roe (Tennessee), former heart surgeon Rep. Larry Bucshon (Indiana) and former gastroenterologist Sen. Bill Cassidy (Louisiana).

Many may remember Wenstrup for aiding Rep. Steve Scalise after the Louisiana politician was shot in last year's Congressional baseball practice shooting.

'It was pretty amazing. The first responders were really the member doctors who were demanding to get off the train,' Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, told CNN.

'They were the first ones rendering assistance,' Cole added. 'Then you pretty quickly had emergency first responders, paramedics, a lot of fire vehicles and ambulance here now. But yeah, they were administering CPR to the folks that had been hurt in the crash.'

Another injured man is rolled away from the scene on a stretcher. One of the five people hospitalized was in critical condition Wednesday afternoon

Another man is seen being placed into an ambulance after the Wednesday crash in Virginia

Emergency personnel inspect the lead engine of an Amtrak train that was carrying multiple Republican lawmakers that crashed into a garbage truck in Crozet, Virginia, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018

Many lawmakers on board who are physicians were among the first responders on the scene to tend to the injured. Above, a view of the crashed truck from inside the train

The crash caused serious damage for the forward engine of the train, pictured above in a picture posted to Twitter

The collision called the contents of the truck to spill out over the side of the tracks

Dozens of firefighters, cops and paramedics rushed to the scene in Virginia Wednesday afternoon

PICTURED: THE LAWMAKERS WHO USED THEIR MEDICAL TRAINING TO AID VICTIMS OF TRAIN CRASH Several lawmakers who are doctors tended to the victims, including former podiatrist Rep. Brad Wenstrup (Ohio), former OBGYNs Rep. Michael Burgess (Texas) and Rep. Phil Roe (Tennessee), former heart surgeon Rep. Larry Bucshon (Indiana) and former gastroenterologist Sen. Bill Cassidy (Louisiana). Many may remember Wenstrup for aiding Rep. Steve Scalise after the Louisiana politician was shot in last year's Congressional baseball practice shooting. Rep Roger Marshall of Kansas, a licensed OB-GYN, performed CPR on the garbage truck driver. 'He answered the call and has been helping people on the scene since,' his spokesperson Charyssa Parent told the New York Daily News . In addition to performing CPR, Marshall also attended to the train's conductor and the garbage truck passengers. Several lawmakers on the train are former medical professionals and used their training to help the victims. Above, three of the lawmakers who helped out from left to right: Sen Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Rep Larry Bucshon (Indiana) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (Ohio) Rep Roger Marshall of Kansas (left), Rep Michael Burgess of Texas (center) and Rep Phil Roe of Tennessee (right), all former OB-GYNs, also aided the victims Advertisement

Rep Roger Marshall of Kansas, a licensed OB-GYN, performed CPR on the garbage truck driver.

'He answered the call and has been helping people on the scene since,' his spokesperson Charyssa Parent told the New York Daily News.

In addition to performing CPR, Marshall also attended to the train's conductor and the garbage truck passengers.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was also on board the train and released this statement:

'Today's incident was a terrible tragedy. We are grateful for the first responders who rushed to the scene and we pray for the victims and their families. May they all be in our thoughts right now.'

Sen. Jeff Flake said there were three people in the truck - one who died and two others who were injured

The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the accident

It's unclear if any other lawmakers besides Rep. Lewis were taken to the hospital

The retreat that the lawmakers were headed is scheduled to continue, with an abridged schedule and a moment of prayer

After the scene was cleared, the train continued on to Charlottesville, Virginia

Also on the train were the wives and children of some of the Republican Congressmen

Vice President Mike Pence, who was scheduled to speak at the event today, also released a statement.

'Getting regular updates on the Amtrack crash involving members of Congress and their fmailies. Praying for all involved and grateful for the swift action of first responders. POTUS and I will continue to monitor closely. I'm heading to WV later today,' he said.

President Trump briefly spoke about the train crash during an afternoon meeting on tax reform.

He said he had been briefed about the situation by House Speaker Ryan and said the members of Congress who were on the train are 'doing pretty good'.

'The train accident was a tough one, a tremendous jolt and they're proceeding to their conference,' the president said.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that the president 'has been fully briefed on the situation in Virginia and is receiving regular updates'.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been affected by this incident,' she added.

Passengers watch as emergency personnel operate work at the scene of a train crash involving a garbage truck in Crozet, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018

Emergency personnel work at the scene of a train crash involving a garbage truck in Crozet, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 201

The train slammed into a tractor trailer, leading to one fatality and one serious injury

Lawmakers revealed some of the immediate damage in the minutes after the crash.

Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon shared a photo that showed a truck carrying trash had been upended, with trash strewn all over the ground.

'I'm on the train w/members of Congress that was just involved in a crash. I'm ok. Most members are ok but serious injuries on the ground,' wrote Kentucky Rep. James Comer on Twitter.

The three people on the truck bore the brunt of the injuries.

'They were thrown from the truck and one appears to have been stabilized and air evacuated and the other one I don't have eyes on right now,' Rep. French Hill told CNN.

A statement from Amtrak reported that the accident occurred at 11:20am Wednesday morning in Crozet, Virginia.

It was en route to the annual retreat at the Greenbrier hotel. Lawmakers annually pile into the train together from Union Station in Washington, D.C.

A spokeswoman for the Republican conference said that they are 'adjusting the schedule' of the meeting, but intend for it to go on.

The retreat will now include a moment of prayer for the victim and those injured.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by today’s incident,' the spokesperson said.

The NTSB has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the accident.

Rep. Greg Walden was among the first lawmakers to tweet about the accident on Wednesday

The Republican lawmakers were headed to the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia for their annual retreat