Long Island train strikes truck, killing three: authorities

Three people were killed on Tuesday when a commuter train headed into New York City collided with their vehicle, local police said.

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train bound for Penn Station in Manhattan struck the truck at a little after 7:15 p.m. (0015 GMT) in Westbury, New York, the train service said on Twitter.

About 200 people were on the train when it hit the truck and derailed. The driver of the truck was trying to beat the gate at a crossing, Newsday.com reported, citing local authorities.

Some passengers suffered minor injuries, a spokesman for the Nassau County Police Department told Reuters.

Service was suspended and delayed in both directions on the Ronkonkoma and Huntington/Port Jefferson branches, LIRR said.

Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; editing by Christian Schmollinger