MIDLAND, Texas: Officials say four veterans were killed after a train slammed into a parade float stuck on a railroad crossing in West Texas.

Midland city spokesman Ryan Stout says 37-year-old Sgt. Maj. Gary Stouffer and 47-year-old Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Boivin were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident Thursday afternoon.

Stout says 34-year-old Army Sgt. Joshua Michael and 43- year-old Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers were pronounced dead later at Midland Memorial Hospital.

About two dozen veterans and their spouses had been sitting on the parade float, set up on the back of a flatbed truck decorated with American flags. Many seemed to panic as the train's horn blared, said Patricia Howle, who was waiting in her car at a nearby traffic light.

"I was on the phone, and I just started screaming," she told The Associated Press after crash. "The truck was on the other side of the train, but I did see the panic on the faces of the people and saw some of them jump off."

Police said the first truck with veterans safely crossed the tracks, but the second truck's trailer was still on the crossing as the Union Pacific locomotive approached.

The US marked Veterans Day earlier this week, and the parade was part of an event to honor wounded veterans.

Police confirmed that all four of the dead were veterans. Sixteen others were hurt in the crash. Four are in stable condition and one is critical. Ten others were treated and released from the hospital.

A preliminary investigation indicated the crossing gate and lights were working, said Union Pacific spokesman Tom Lange, though he didn't know if the train crew saw the float approaching.

"There is going to be a very thorough investigation," Lange said. "It's obviously a very tragic incident." He said the train crew did not sustain any injuries but would be offered counseling.

The chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman, said yesterday on NBC that the train was equipped with a forward-facing camera whose footage could help in the investigation.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta "was deeply saddened by news of the tragic accident involving veterans heroes and their spouses in Midland," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.

FROM: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS