Transcript for Deadly NYC Commuter Train-SUV Collision Investigation Underway
They were just trying to do what most of us do every day, get home from work to see their families. But rush hour turned into a fiery nightmare when a packed commuter train leaving New York City slammed into an SUV. Tonight we're learning about how the electrified third rail penetrated the lead car of that train. We're also hearing stories of survival and hanging over it all, the mystery. Why was that driver out there on the tracks? Here's ABC's linsey Davis. Reporter: As the crane lifts the charred wreckage of a black SUV, the apparent culprit in yesterday's fiery metro north crash, the train still smoldering nearly 24 hours later as questions swirl tonight about just what caused the deadliest accident in the New York commuter rail history. Basically, the big question everybody wants to know is, why was this vehicle in the crossroads? Reporter: It started like any ordinary commute home. The express metro north train departed from grand central terminal at 5:44 P.M. Roughly 45 minutes later -- Report an explosion on the tracks. Reporter: The train, rolling down the tracks at 58 miles per hour, approaching a railroad crossing. Just at that moment, according to accounts, a black SUV tries to cross. But the gate comes down, stopping it. The train, unable to slow down, keeps coming. Rick hope was in his vehicle just behind that black SUV. The gate came down and hit the back of the car in front of me. She was trying to make it to the other side. Reporter: The driver has now been identified as Ellen Brody, a mother of three from edge Mont, New York. I'm waiting for her to back up and she moves forward. And she moved forward probably 15 feet right in front of the train. Reporter: Brody and her car were struck by the train, pushed 1,000 feet down the track, dislodging the electrified third rail. The third rail, as we call it, penetrated the chassis of the automobile, came out sort of over the right rear tire, and upward at an angle, and then into the first rail car. Reporter: The collision, fueled by gasoline from the SUV, triggering a fire so hot it melted the windows off the side of the train. Doas in the train as well. I thought it had burned completely. I couldn't even imagine how many people were in there that lost their lives. Reporter: Chris gross was a passenger in the first car. I was jolted out of my seat. Then what? Flames. I saw people behind me in the car falling over each other. We skidded. Skidded for I guess a couple hundred yards. As we hit that, things started to at least appear to fly in the car. Maybe it was sparks shooting off. It was just a lot of devastation. It was sort of hard to understand, given what had happened. Just destruction. Reporter: Ellen Brody perished in the crash. As did five metro north passengers riding in the first car of the train. 12 others suffered injuries. It was a massive fireball, yes? Yes. So what saved you? Well -- a little bit of quick thinking. One of the guys that fell on top of me burnt his hands. But he's okay. He broke the emergency latch. Then I pulled the door open, hopped out, helped people out. People were yelling for a fire extinguisher, to call 911. A lot of yelling, a lot of screaming. You know, crying. Reporter: There are more than 209,000 railroad crossings in the United States. In 2014 there were 2,068 incidents between cars and trains that killed 239 people. That's why you have crossing Gates and flashing signals, the train blows its horn. All these warnings. Some people just think that they can beat the train. Reporter: While we still don't know why the SUV stopped on the tracks yesterday in a similar incident, one woman says she simply froze. When I realized that there was just no way my car was going to make it off those tracks I think I pan I guessed and went into shock. Reporter: Betsy Duvall had what I called the freeze response. Unable to act, paralyzed by fear. Thankfully a police officer was nearby. Get back, come on, get back. He said, you need to get out now because there's no time, a train is on its way. All I could do was turn and watch it hit my car and just shove it down the tracks. Just to think that in an instant, my life could have been just taken. Without any warning. Reporter: Even with all the safeguards to warn people, accidents are still common. And can be catastrophic. In Nevada, an amtrak train carrying 220 passengers collided with a tractor-trailer. There was a lot of smoke so we decided to stick our head out one of the doors and saw that the train was fire. I'm getting out of here. It was like a bomb exploded, a war zone, it was crazy. Reporter: Two killed, more than 100 injured. In midland, Texas, four people were killed and 17 hurt when a train crashed into a parade float carrying wounded veterans in 2012. While these accidents are horrific, usually passengers inside the train are safe. Yesterday was different. Serious usually it the occupants of the train. We intend to find out what makes this accident different that caused this to be fatal to five people on board that train. Reporter: Federal authorities are looking for answers to many questions about this crash. Could the SUV driver have gotten out of the way? Why was the explosion so ferocious? And just what role did the electrified third rail play in the fatalities? What we intend to do is to put together that very play by play. We want to put together a timeline to understand. One of the things we'll be doing too is a sight distance test. If you were stopped on the tracks, at what point would you be able to see a train? And at what point constitute engineer of T could the engineer on the train be able to see a stopped vehicle? Reporter: Tonight, all those questions so far unanswered. For "Nightline" I'm linsey Davis in New York.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
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