Mother, daughter killed in crash with Amtrak train in San Leandro

SAN LEANDRO, CA -- A mother and her toddler were killed when an Amtrak train slammed into their SUV in the East Bay.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon on Washington Avenue and Halcyon Drive in San Leandro at around 1:30 p.m.

The Alameda County coroner identified the mother and daughter as 30-year-old Vannessa Henriquez and 3-year-old Saidy.

A Toyota SUV slammed head-on by a fast moving Amtrak train. First responders arrived on the scene, and confirmed the worst.

Police say Henriquez of Oakland was in that SUV with her 3 year old daughter, Saidy.

Jose Portillo, a relative, says the family is devastated he calls Henriquez a dedicated, hard-working mom. He says she was on her way to pick up her son, who has autism, but she didn't arrive, and police were called.

The Amtrak Capitol Corridor Train No. 532 had 39 passengers on board and was heading northbound from San Jose to Sacramento when it crashed into the dark SUV with a woman and young child inside. Officials said none of the passengers aboard the train were injured.

The SUV was caught on the tracks with no way to escape. "It appears that the vehicle that was struck today was trapped in traffic. It was stuck there prior to the railroad arms going down and was unable to get off the tracks safely before it was impacted at a high rate of speed by the Amtrak train," San Leandro Police Department Lt. Bob McManus said.

"I have two kids, and it just hurts my heart you know," said San Leandro resident Jackie Moniz.

Moniz said she's always careful near this rail crossing.

On Monday, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a train less than a mile from the site of Tuesday's crash.

Henriquez and her daughter are a sad, sobering reminder about danger on the tracks.