This truck was on its roof when the Montgomery fire department arrived on the scene of this fatal train crash that occurred Friday afternoon near Montgomery.

MONTGOMERY – From the office of the Coroner in Lycoming County there was a reported fatal crash involving a train and a truck on Red Brick Church Road in Clinton Township on Friday afternoon, August 15. The crash took place about 1:30 p.m.

Darren Ziemer, 46 years of age from Bayard, Nebraska was the passenger in the pickup truck that was struck by the Norfolk Southern Train at the Railroad crossing on Red Brick Church Rd.

Mr. Ziemer was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver Howard Martin, Jr., 49 years of age was transported Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:55 p.m.

Martin was taken to Muncy Valley Hospital by ambulance before he was transported by Life Flight to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Both occupants died of multiple blunt force trauma. Two people passing by pulled the victims out of their vehicles.

The crash remains under investigation by PA State Police and Norfolk Southern Police.

Clinton Township Fire Co. Chief Todd Winder said the United Rental truck was struck by the train at the crossing. There are no lights and no crossing protection at the road’s intersection with the train tracks, he said, which may have been a factor in the crash.

At the time of the crash, the train was on its way to the PPL Montour power plant and was traveling 50 mph, Winder said.

Both men were in the area working as carpenters doing construction work. Officials believe that the two men were returning from a lunch break to a construction site when the crash occurred.

Assisting on the scene were Washington Township, Montgomery and Muncy area fire departments and Loyalsock Township, Warrior Run and Susquehanna Health paramedics.