Officials say the van went around a lowered crossing arm before the crash early Friday.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two women were killed and three children were injured early Friday when a freight train struck a minivan at a crossing in southwest Birmingham, authorities said. The collision happened about 1:46 a.m. in the 1000 block of 24th Street Southwest.
The crash has prompted an investigation by Birmingham police and the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office into how and why the minivan ended up in the train’s path. Officials identified the adults as Carolyn Elaine Berry, 47, and Aldereka Laqulla Ikes, 36, both of Birmingham. Three juveniles in the vehicle were taken to Children’s of Alabama for treatment. Officials said the vehicle went around a lowered railroad crossing arm moments before impact, a detail central to the ongoing review.
First responders arrived within minutes of the 911 call and found the minivan badly damaged on the tracks near 24th Street Southwest. Berry was pronounced dead at the scene. Ikes was taken from the crash site and later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to officials familiar with the response. Police said a witness at the crossing pulled children from the vehicle before emergency crews arrived. “Our detectives are collecting video and interviewing witnesses to determine the full sequence,” a Birmingham police spokesperson said.
Authorities said four youths were in the minivan; three were transported to Children’s of Alabama. Their exact ages and conditions were not immediately released. Investigators are reviewing the status of the crossing’s warning devices and timing and whether the driver’s actions, speed, or other factors contributed. The coroner’s office listed both women as Birmingham residents and confirmed the crash time as just before 2 a.m. at the marked crossing. Officials have not released the train’s speed or the length of the consist, which remain part of the fact-gathering process.
The crossing sits in a mixed residential and industrial area in southwest Birmingham used by freight traffic during overnight hours. Local records show trains and motorists share several at-grade crossings in the immediate area. In recent years, city officials and Alabama transportation agencies have weighed safety upgrades at busy crossings statewide, including additional signage, timing changes and potential grade separation where feasible. Friday’s crash is among the most serious in Birmingham in recent months and drew a multi-agency response before dawn.
Police said the investigation will include a review of locomotive camera footage, audio logs, and the railroad’s event recorders, along with interviews with the train crew and witnesses. Detectives also plan to obtain nearby security video and examine the minivan’s mechanical condition. No charges had been announced as of Saturday. Officials said any decision on citations or referrals would come after the full case file is reviewed by police supervisors and prosecutors.
Neighbors who gathered near the taped-off crossing described being awakened by the horn and the sound of metal before emergency lights filled the street. One resident said she saw bystanders rush to the minivan as the first police units arrived. Another man, who declined to give his name, said he often waits at the arm on his way to work and was shaken by the wreckage left on the tracks. “It was so quiet, then sirens everywhere,” he said.
As of Sunday morning, police listed the case as an active traffic homicide investigation and said additional updates would be released when confirmed. Authorities did not provide a date for a public briefing. The railroad reopened the track after investigators completed measurements and cleared the site.
Author note: Last updated January 19, 2026.