Children, 11 and 13, among three killed when freight train strikes car in Gary

A woman and two children, 11 and 13, died after a train struck a car Tuesday morning in Gary, Indiana.

The freight train struck the Chevrolet sedan around 7:20 a.m. near Miller Avenue and Howard Street, Gary police Commander Jack Hamady said. All three people in the car were ejected and died, he said.

The victims were identified as Deniya Brown, 11, Deyki Mitchell, 13, and Shermika Herbert, 37, according to the Lake County coroner’s office. They lived in Gary. The coroner’s office initially identified Deyki as a girl but clarified Wednesday that he was a boy.

Police did not release more information.

Gary Mayor Jerome A. Prince said the incident was “especially painful” because the victims were from the same family.

“We lost several members of a family in a train-car collision this morning. At this point, details are limited as different law enforcement agencies and the CSX railroad continue investigating this incident,” Prince said in an emailed statement.

“Whatever the outcomes of these investigations, I implore every resident and visitor to be extra cautious when using every railroad crossing and please respect crossing gates and safety devices throughout our city,” he said.