At least two Mormon U.S. Senators were involved in a deadly train crash on Wednesday, January 31, when a train carrying members of Congress to their legislative retreat in West Virginia struck a garbage truck.
Lawmakers and those aboard the train have all been reported safe, with only minor injuries, according to CNN. But among the three passengers in the truck, one died at the scene while the others sustained injuries, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed in a statement.
BREAKING: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) tells me 3 passengers aboard the hit truck. 1 is dead. 2 injured. He and other lawmakers helped carry one of the injured truck passengers to an ambulance with local medical personnel. — Ed O'Keefe (@edatpost) January 31, 2018
Among those onboard the train were LDS senators Mike Lee and Jeff Flake. Many of the members of Congress involved in the crash had medical training and rushed to help those in the truck. "They were actually the first person on the scene as far as I could tell,” Rep. Tom Cole told CNN. “They were administering CPR to the folks who had been hurt in the crash."
Washington Post reporter Ed O-Keefe confirmed that Sen. Jeff Flake was among those who helped carry one of the injured truck passengers to an ambulance.But this wasn't the first time Sen. Flake assisted the injured in an emergency situation.
Last June, Sen. Flake was at bat when a distraught gunman opened fire during a congressional baseball practice just outside of Washington, D.C. Sen. Flake was dubbed by The Week as "one of the many heroes to emerge" after the shooting for helping the injured and rushing to help Rep. Steve Scalise, who was gravely injured.