UPDATE: Friday, Jan. 13 at 11am
Two members of the veteran Oakland R&B-funk band Tower of Power were in critical condition Thursday night after being struck by an Amtrak train near Jack London Square shortly before 8pm, according to several sources including a band spokesperson. They were scheduled to perform two sets at Yoshi’s, the jazz club that borders the transit hub, and a venue where the band plays regularly.
“In an unfortunate accident tonight, two members of the award-winning group Tower Of Power, drummer David Garibaldi and current bassist Marc Van Wageningen, were struck by a train in California,” said their publicist, Jeremy Westby, in a statement. “Both men are responsive and being treated at a local hospital in Oakland.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the accident occurred when Garibaldi, Van Wageningen, and two other pedestrians tried to cross the train tracks while the guard arms were down, possibly because they thought the warning was for a slow freight train that had just passed. An Amtrak train was coming at about 25 mph from the other direction on a different track, Oakland Police Sgt. Aaron Smith told the Chronicle. The other two people were apparently able to jump out of the way before the two musicians were struck.
Sheila E., the legendary drummer and frequent Tower of Power collaborator, sent out a call for well wishes on Twitter.