Congress Members In Train Wreck

[toucana]

Dozens of Republican Congressmen and their families have been involved in a train wreck.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/congress-train-accident/index.html

The party of law-makers including the Speaker Paul Ryan were on their way to the annual legislative retreat at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The retreat starts Wednesday and ends Friday.

Amtrak said in a statement that the train came into contact with a vehicle that was on the tracks at 11:20 a.m. in Crozet, Virginia, outside Charlottesville. Amtrak's statement said "There are no reported injuries to passengers or crew members" as of noon, though some passengers told reporters of more serious injuries.

Other reports say that least one person was killed in the collision with a truck.

Multiple sources said that all members of Congress on the train and their families were OK, with the exception of a few minor injuries. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed in a statement that there was at least one fatality from the collision, though it was unclear who that was.

"The President has been fully briefed on the situation in Virginia and is receiving regular updates," Sanders said in her statement. "There is one confirmed fatality and one serious injury. There are no serious injuries among members of Congress or their staff."

[toucana]

The train apparently hit a garbage truck that was crossing the track.
CNN have posted an updated list of Congressmen known to have been onboard:

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/who-was-on-the-train-gop-retreat-congress-republicans/index.html

One person not on the list is Rep. Trey Gowdy who surprised many by announcing earlier today that he will be retiring from Congress and not seeking re-election to his South Carolina constituency at the end of his current term. - The ninth GOP member to do so.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-trey-gowdy-to-retire-from-congress-becoming-9th-gop-chairman-to-call-it-quits/

Gowdy says that he will be returning to work within the US justice system.

[Serpent]

You'd do readers a favour by including 'literal' in the title. The metaphorical train wreck they're involved in might not draw attention anymore.

[toucana]

I did wonder quite how to phrase that aspect of the story without unseemly irony, along with the fact that they collided with a garbage truck.

Trey Gowdy's statement about leaving Congress "to work within the US justice system" may not be unconnected with his former role along with Devin Nunes as a member of the Trump transition team.

Apparently Gowdy was one of the unlucky public figures who was spoken to by Robert Mueller *before* it became known that Mueller's investigators had already obtained all of the transition team's emails.

[Braininvat]

They were on their way to the 11,000 acre resort owned by the governor of West Virginia (who ran as a Dem, got elected, and almost immediately officially changed parties).

His name is Jim Justice. So...

So one could say that the Republican train got derailed by garbage while on its way to finding Justice.

You can't make this stuff up.

[someguy1]

They were on their way to the 11,000 acre resort owned by the governor of West Virginia (who ran as a Dem, got elected, and almost immediately officially changed parties).

His name is Jim Justice. So...

So one could say that the Republican train got derailed by garbage while on its way to finding Justice.

You can't make this stuff up.

No question that this tragedy (the truck driver died) is politically funny. A train full of GOPs hitting a garbage truck. The jokes write themselves.