- On Thursday, April 3, brothers David and Thomas Cramp were with their father, Christopher Cramp, 56, when a high-speed Amtrak train struck and killed them on the tracks in Bucks County, Penn.
- David and Thomas were recently married, said their mother Michele in an interview with WCAU
- A fundraiser was recently held on behalf of the family
A woman whose two sons were recently killed along with her ex-husband in a train collision in Bucks County, Penn., described the ordeal of losing her family members.
“A nightmare. I mean, both of my boys were just recently married,” Michele Cramp said about her sons David Cramp, 31, and Thomas Cramp, 24, to NBC affiliate WCAU in a story published on Thursday, April 10.
On Thursday, April 3, David and Thomas were with their father, Christopher Cramp, 56, when a high-speed Amtrak train struck and killed them on the tracks, Bristol Borough Police Department Chief Joe Moors said in a previous press conference.
The three men were identified by the Bucks County Coroner’s Office per a news release obtained by PEOPLE on Friday, April 4. Christopher and David’s deaths were ruled as accidents, while Thomas died by suicide.
Christopher and David were trying to stop Thomas at the time of the collision, officials reportedly said according to ABC affiliate WPVI-TV.
Moors said during the press conference that officers had already been sent to the station and were already “starting to head up on the railroad tracks” near Beaver and Prospect streets at the time of the incident.
“This is an absolute tragedy,” Moors added.
The Amtrak train that struck the men was traveling from Boston to Richmond, Va. A spokesperson for Amtrak said in a statement shared with PEOPLE that there were “no reported injuries to the 236 passengers or crew onboard” and that they are “working with the Bristol Borough Police Department to investigate the incident.”
Michele said she was en route to see her sons that day when the tragedy unfolded.
“I was on my way to them to take them out to dinner because we were going to go out with my son. I got there 15 minutes too late,” Michele told WCAU.
Meanwhile, the community rallied around Michele when they gathered at the Borough Pub in Bristol to raise money for the family, CBS affiliate KYW reported.
Brian Erwin, the owner of the pub, told the outlet that the funds will help pay for the funeral costs.
“That’s why we’re trying to do this tonight, any little bit can help,” Erwin said. “You’re burying three loved ones. I can’t even imagine what the remaining family is going through right now.”
According to family members and officials, Christopher Cramp was a volunteer firefighter and outreach worker who helped the underprivileged.
“You do anything for your children; you try to save them, protect them, and Chris did that,” Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvey told WCAU.
Dominique Bohacz, a relative of the Cramps, told KYW that the family is still processing the losses.
“Losing all three members of one solid family and such a family that has a big impact in this neighborhood … everybody rallying behind everybody has been helpful, but everybody has their moments and their time, so we’re just trying to just be there and be supportive,” said Bohacz.
Michele described the outpouring of community support she had received as amazing. “Knowing what my kids and ex-husband meant to the community means so much,” she told WCAU.
PEOPLE contracted the Bristol Borough Police Department for any new updates about the train collision on Friday, April 11, but they did not immediately respond.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
