New York train crash kills 7

Seven people were killed and a dozen more injured when a commuter train collided with a car north of New York City Tuesday night.

Metro-north railroad spokesman Aaron Donovan said the train struck a Jeep Cherokee at a railroad crossing in Valhalla, 32 kilometres north of New York City.

The SUV's driver and six train passengers died at the scene.

Reports say the track gates had come down on top of the vehicle which was stopped on the tracks.

The driver got out to look at the rear of the vehicle, then got back in and had begun to drive forward when the train hit.

The train pushed the SUV about 10 train car lengths along the tracks and the front carriage caught fire.