A man and four children were killed when their vehicle was hit by a train in León, Guanajuato, on Saturday in an attempt to beat the train to a level crossing.

The collision occurred at about 4:45 p.m. in the neighborhood of Jesús María when the driver failed to cross the tracks before the train. They were killed on impact. Their vehicle was pushed about 100 meters down the track.

Witnesses said the driver was a 26-year-old who was traveling with his sons Tadeo, 8, and Daniel, 10. The two other minors, friends of his children, were identified as Alejandro and Brando, both 12.

They appear to have been on their way to the community of San Juan de Abajo to watch the final of the Mexican football season on Sunday, the news website ADN 40 reported. 

The Ferromex train was halted while the bodies were recovered from the vehicle. The train was hauling cargo from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, to Mexico City. 

With reports from El Universal, ADN 40 and Periódico Correo