Two die in car-train crash near Warroad

Two people died when a train hit a car south of Warroad, Wednesday evening.

Aaron J. Cook, 35, of Warroad, was driving a car at a railroad crossing on Minnesota Highway 11 south of Warroad at about 5:30 p.m. when he slowed at a stop sign, but did not stop, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

When Cook drove across the tracks, his car was struck on the driver's side by a Canadian National Railway train, the patrol said. The car was pushed into the ditch. Cook and passenger Sheryl L. Reed, 33, of Macon, Ga., died in the crash.

The operator of the train, Ryan D. Hartnell, 37, whose address is unclear, did not appear to have injuries, the patrol said.

Both Cook and Reed were not wearing seatbelts. It is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the crash, the patrol said.

The car was totaled and towed from the scene, while the train sustained minor damage, the patrol said