An Erie man killed Saturday after a train hit his vehicle has been identified by the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff's Office says 65 year old Robert Merrill was pronounced dead at the scene.
Just after 12:30 Saturday afternoon, deputies were called to the railroad crossing at Moline Road and Smit Road for a crash involving a train and a vehicle. According to the sheriff's office, Merrill was driving northbound on Smit Road, when the vehicle traveled through the crossing and was struck on the driver's side door by an eastbound train.
Merrill's 16-year-old daughter, who was in the front passenger seat, was airlifted from the scene by Medforce to Iowa City for life threatening injuries. The sheriff’s office says she is in serious condition as of Monday morning.