6 People, Including Child and Single Mother, Hit by Train en Route to Family Funeral: ‘When It Rains, It Pours'
Katelynn Gooden and five of her family members were on their way to her grandmother's funeral in Bartlett, Tenn., on Thursday, April 17, when they were hit by a train, according to FOX 13 Memphis, Action News 5 and a GoFundMe fundraiser created by a friend of the family.
Kevin Quinn, a local alderman, said that the family was in a limousine en route to the ceremony when a train collided with the vehicle at Stage Road and Sycamore View, FOX 13 reported. The limo crashed into a tree near the railroad and sustained 'heavy damage' on its passenger side, the outlet reported, adding that reporters observed no crossing gates at the intersection.
All six members of the family, including a child, were hospitalized with injuries, and two other vehicles were impacted in the accident, per FOX 13 and Action News 5. The collision also shut down the site of the crash — a major intersection in Bartlett — for hours, the outlets reported.
The City of Bartlett Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
A fundraiser was created to raise money for one passenger in particular, Gooden, as she heals from her injuries.
Gooden, a single mother to a 3-year-old daughter, sustained a 'severe fracture that is causing her to be unable to walk' and will require her to be out of work for at least three months, per the GoFundMe — which, as of Sunday, April 20, has raised $4,850 of its $5,500 goal.
"Everyone is expected to recover,' one relative told Action News 5, adding that they are 'thankful everyone is fine.' Meanwhile, another family member underscored the shocking nature of the incident, as well as its tragic timing.
Aisha Shabree, identified simply as a relative, told FOX 13 that the extended family was waiting at a funeral home for the limo carrying the grandchildren and children of the deceased to arrive when they learned of the collision.
"One of my aunties pulled up,' she recalled to FOX 13, 'and she was like, 'When it rains it pours.' I was like, 'What?' 'The family car just got hit by a train.' '
'Then, of course, shock,' added Shabree. 'Like, what?'
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According to another Memphis outlet, WREG, the limo collided with a CSX train, and the transport company is now investigating the incident. Despite the lack of crossing gates, the City of Bartlett assures that the intersection is safe, the outlet reported.
CSX did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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