A Gary Police officer looks over the scene of a train vs car collision near the intersection of 6th Place and South Howard Street in Gary that killed three on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

       Three people died Tuesday morning after a freight train struck their vehicle in Gary’s Miller section on Howard Street, near Miller Avenue.

       Gary Police Cmdr. Jack Hamady said police received a call about the crash at the gated crossing about 7:20 a.m. and when they arrived they found three people had been ejected from a mangled, light gray Chevrolet sedan.

       A Department of Transportation employee joins Gary police to process the scene of a train vs car collision near the intersection of 6th Place and South Howard Street in Gary that killed three on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

       The car’s bumper was ripped off by the impact and sat near the vehicle as emergency crews worked to clear the site. The motorist had been heading south on Howard Street.

       Two Lake County coroner vans were at the scene and the names of the victims won’t be known until families have been contacted.

       The Lake County coroner’s office identified the dead as Shermilka Herbert, 37, Deniya Brown, 11, and Deyki Mitchell, 13, all of the 5800 block of Kennedy Terrace in Gary.

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       A CSX Railroad official said no one on the eastbound freight train was injured.

       Lake County Coroner vans are parked at the scene of a train vs car collision near the intersection of 6th Place and South Howard Street in Gary that killed three on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)

       The accident blocked the tracks on Lake Street and on Old Hobart Road in Miller for several hours.

       Gary City Councilman William Godwin, D-1st, said he couldn’t comment on the crash specifics, because he hadn’t been briefed.

       “We will continue to push for safety when it comes to trains, and we certainly have a lot of them,” said Godwin. “The council will continue its efforts to work toward improving safety at railroad crossings and throughout the city,” he said.

       Check back for updates.

       Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

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