Vinton Woman Dies In Train Accident

A tragedy in the Vinton area claims the life of a young woman.

A 36-year-old woman died Wednesday night after she was struck by an Amtrak train near the intersection of Highway 109 and Highway 90 West.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office identified the victim as Cristal S. LaPoint, a resident of Vinton.

Authorities said LaPoint was walking with four others on the railroad tracks as the westbound train approached at around 6:30 p.m.

In addition to the fatality, a 19-year-old man was also injured. Authorities describe his injuries as non-life threatening.

Three others in the group, a 5-year-old, 14-year-old and 27-year-old were not injured, according to authorities.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said a camera attached to the train should give investigators a better idea of what exactly happened before the accident.

"We'll get our detectives to view that to make sure there was no foul play involved or anything," said Mancuso. "We're just trying to figure out what took place, why they were on the tracks and why they couldn't get off the tracks in time for the train."

The train was carrying dozens of passengers.

A relief crew was en route Wednesday night to take those passengers on to their destination, while the train's conductors spoke with investigators.

via Vinton woman killed in train accident - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana.