Four young men and a teenage girl were killed when a US train hit a car which had driven over a level crossing.

The Amtrak train, with around 150 passengers on board, struck the black Ford Fusion at a crossing near Detroit.

Police spokesman Sergeant Mark Gajeski said the crash occurred in Canton Township, about 20 miles (32km) west of the city as the vehicle was heading north.

He said the crossing had a gate and flashing lights that apparently were working when the vehicle approached.

The train, travelling at around 67mph (107kph), hit the car and pushed it down the tracks for about a mile (1.6km) until it came to another crossing.

The vehicle crumpled underneath the front of the train and ended right-side up, with its roof and front crushed, killing a 14-year-old girl and the four men who were aged 18, 19, 20 and 21.

Last year, 119 people died nationwide in Amtrak accidents, usually when trains struck vehicles or pedestrians at level crossings, according to figures from the Federal Railroad Administration.

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