Lee’s Summit, Mo. – On 3/17/11 at 6:12 p.m. officers with the Lee’s Summit Missouri Police Department responded to the 2100 block of SE Hamblen Road on the report of a motor vehicle accident. Upon arrival, Officers located a single vehicle that had been struck by a passing train at the railroad crossing. The vehicle was travelling southbound on Hamblen Road when it was struck by a southbound freight train at the marked railroad crossing. The driver of the vehicle was the only occupant of the vehicle and was pronounced at the scene. The investigation continues into the cause of the accident. The investigation will focus on the status of the crossing arms as well as whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. The Lee’s Summit Police Department is being assisted in the investigation by members of the Union Pacific Railroad Police. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notifications.
*******************UPDATED 3/18/2011 AT 10:00 AM**********************
The victim has been identified as Tatiana Mancilla, a 20 year old female from Lee’s Summit, MO.
*******************UPDATED 3/22/2011 AT 3:00 PM**********************
The preliminary investigation has been completed. The initial findings indicate that the victim disregarded the fully functional signal lights and crossing arms prior to the accident. Other factors surrounding the accident remain under investigation.