and abc's linzie janis leads us off from the scene tonight. >> reporter: a train packed with dozens of lawmakers, their staffers and families on their way to a retreat today, slamming into a truck in rural virginia, leaving one person did. >> all of a sudden had a big jolt, i didn't know what we hit. it knocked several people down. >> and then, the next thing i realized is that we were slowing down significantly and coming to a stop, and that's when we all knew we hit something. >> reporter: their train was heading from washington to west virginia when the accident occurred at 11:15 this morning. >> mass casualty incident, level one. train versus truck. >> reporter: the impact, 0 deliberating the truck, sending debris flying, smashing in the front of the train. north carolina representative mark walker capturing the carnage through the train window. lawmakers with medical experience springing into action, rushing to get to the three men who were in the truck. >> we took rotating turns on cpr on the one gentleman. >> we tried shocking him and just never, never could get him back, i'm af

linzie janis, abc news, new york. >>> and usa gymnastics criticized for not doing enough to stop himorganization is absolutely heartbroken, sorry and angry that simone biles or any of our athletes have been harmed by the horistic acts of larry nassar. our support is uernw athletes w >>> we're hearing from the family of a 40-year-old mother of three who died fromhe hours developed symptoms. katie oxley thomas was a marathon runner and loved yoga and healthy eating. but her condition declined so rapidly her parents say she was moved into intensive care placed on life support and died all in the span of just 15 hours. >> this was like nothing i've ever seen how quickly this attacked her was amazing. >> we just thought she'd be back home in a couple of days and she wasn't. >> and her parents believe she did get a flu shot. they're urging people not to ignore symptoms of the flu. so far this season in california alone, 42 people under the age of 65 have died of the flu. >>> meanwhile, in alabama a 38-year-old father of three is now in a medically induced coma because of the flu. his wife

here's abc's linzie janis. >> reporter: tonight, one of the biggest names in usa gymnastics, simone biles, coming forward to say she, too, was abused by former team doctor larry nassar. in social media posts, the 20-year-old olympic gold medalist writing, "for too long, i've asked myself, was i too naive? was it my fault? i now know the answer to those questions. no. no, it was not my fault. no, i will not and should not carry the guilt that belongs to larry nassar, usag, and others." biles joins a list of more than 140 women who've accused nassar of abuse, including her fellow gymnastic stars gabby douglas, mckayla maroney and alaly raism. as biles trains for the 2020 olympics in tokyo, she says, "i won't let one man, and the others that enables him, to steal my love and joy." nasser, who is already serving 60 years in prison on child pornography and sexual misconduct charges -- >> guilty as stated. >> reporter: -- will be sentenced again this week after pleading guilty to seven charges of sexual assault. starting tomorrow, dozens of nassar's accusers will have the chance to read victim

david, nassar could get a life sentence. >> linzie janis with us tonight. linzie, thank you. >>> when we come back here, the rare interview with queen elizabeth tonight. >>> also, that car taking flight. how did it crash into that second floor? the surveillance now released. >>> and the famous singer's sudden death, her music loved by so many. discovered inside a london hotel. remember our special night? abdominal pain... ...and diarrhea. but it's my anniversary. aw. sorry. we've got other plans. your recurring, unpredictable abdominal pain and diarrhea... ...may be irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, or ibs-d. you've tried over-the-counter treatments and lifestyle changes, but ibs-d can be really frustrating. talk to your doctor about viberzi,... ...a different way to treat ibs-d. viberzi is a prescription medication you take every day that helps proactively manage... ...both abdominal pain and diarrhea at the same time. so you stay ahead of your symptoms. viberzi can cause new or worsening abdominal pain. do not take viberzi if you have no gallbladder

abc's linzie janis tonight out to save your money. >> reporter: tonight, cell phone carriers battlingur business, kicking off the new year with some big deals. at t mobile, buy an iphone 7 or higher and get up to a $700 rebate for another iphone, including the x when you trade in your old phone. sprint offering an unlimited plan free for one year. experts say be sure to read the fine print and when choosing a plan it's important to understand how you use your phone. >> if you just check e-mail or text here and there, you don't need a lot of data. >> time for a switch. >> reporter: some of the best deals out there may be from lesser known carriers like cricket and boost mobile. both selling four phone lines with unlimited data for just $100 a month. >> there is just a whole world out there of great deals if you move beyond the four major carrie carriers. >> reporter: many of these smaller carriers are owned by the big networks or have contracts with them so experts say your quality of coverage should be the same. david. >> let's hope. thank you. >>> when we come back, hold on tight. se

here's abc's linzie janis tonight. >>> reporter: tonight, 37-year-old mother karlie illg slaven from indiana, one of the flu epidemic's latest victims. her father says she'd been taking care of her husband and children who had the virus when she started feeling sick. >> my wife called and said, "get over here right away. they put her in the icu. she's in critical condition." >> reporter: he says she died, just three days after testing positive for the flu. >> we all were there, standing around her, and she left us about 6:30 in the morning. >> reporter: karlie's story, highlighting the danger to caregivers and others at home. tonight, the cdc recommending that some people at a higher risk take a preventative dose of tamiflu, even if they don't have the flu. a step that could cut their chances of getting the virus by up to an estimated 80%. >> if there are infections in the household, and you are concerned about an older individual in the home, talk with your doctor and see if prophylactic medicines are something that would be useful. >> reporter: across the country, nearly 12,000 flu

here's abc's linzie janis out to save your money tonight. >> enjoy a world of benefits. >> reporter:ight, credit cards enticing us with everything from cash back rewards to points to spend on travel. so, how can you make sure you're getting the most for your money? experts say look for cards that offer transferable points, allowing you to move them to your favorite airline or hotel chain's loyalty program. >> make more of what's yours. >> reporter: credit card companies now locked in a fierce battle for your business. amex's every day preferred card gives extra points at most supermarkets and gas stations. with chase's sapphire preferred you get bonus points on all travel and dining. but experts warn rewards programs may not be worth it for everyone. >> if you're carrying a balance you're negating the value of any rewards that you got. you're only getting about 2% back of what you purchased. but the interest you're paying you could be paying 14%, 16% or even more in interest charges. >> all right, this is a lot to take in. linzie is with us now. there's actually reward call cue lay t

here's abc's linzie janis. >> reporter: tonight, this north carolina pharmacy inundated with flu shot requests after local 6-year-old emily grace muth, who wasn't vaccinated, died within four days of getting sick. >> just the idea of having your kid pass away from something like the flu is just terrifying. >> reporter: emily grace's parents say just hours after paramedics visited their home, their daughter's symptoms worsened. >> she was breathing a little bit heavier than she was, and all of sudden she just raised up and went back down. and i noticed that -- i'm like, "emily, emily," and then i noticed she wasn't breathing. >> reporter: at least 30 children have died so far this flu season. >> what we're finding is that there is such a thing as an immune overload, where just their immune system basically goes into overdrive, and unfortunately, the cells actually start attacking the healthy cells. >> reporter: and a new study just out tonight in "the new england journal of medicine" suggesting heart attacks in adults over the age of 35 are six times as likely in the week following a p

abc's linzie janis with the story. good morning, linzie. >> reporter: good morning, george.was supposed to be an evening of fun on a casino ship but these passengers ended up having to fight for their lives, jumping into the icy waters as their shuttle boat went up in flames. take a look at the dramatic video off the coast of florida. >> we were terrified for everyone on board. >> reporter: a shuttle boat engulfed in flames. forcing its 50 passengers to jump into the port richey canal and swim ashore to safety. >> holy cow. >> reporter: the shuttle was heading to a casino boat located three miles away in international waters, when the captain noticed smoke coming from the engine room. witnesses described panic on board as the boat burned. >> in a matter of four minutes, the whole boat was gone. like, in flames. >> reporter: passengers abandoned ship 100 feet from the shore. jumping into the ten-foot-deep ocean water in 43-degree weather. the waters cold enough to cause hypothermia. >> they directed all of us to jump from the front of the boat. >> some people were crawling tr

linzie janis is here with the story. good morning, linzie. >> so many of us have been there.n. selter says all she did was get up to stretch when flight attendants singled her out, kicking her off the plane, leaving her humiliated. she's a social media sensation in the fitness world. sharing her workouts with 11 million followers on instagram. but this morning, 24-year-old jennifer selter tweeting videos of a different kind. >> american airlines calls the shots. they don't want you to fly today. >> reporter: showing her and her sister getting kicked off. a flight from miami to new york on saturday. >> i was putting my jacket up. clearly, we're all irritable. we've been sitting here for two hours. >> reporter: selter allegedly got in an altercation with the flight attendant. when she left her seat to open the overhead compartment. >> he said, would you like to get off? she said, yes. >> i was obviously being sarcastic. five male officers coming at me. >> you're harassing her. you're harassing her. you came from all over there, open the thing. why are you being aggressive? >> r

linzie janis here to show us that moment. >> reporter: caught on camera by one of the firefighters' helmete girl is getting a chance to thank her hero. it's the miraculous catch caught on camera. [ screaming ] >> reporter: watch as firefighter captain scott strupp makes the save of his life. catching 5-year-old destiny nelson from a three-stroir fall. desperately trying the save her from the flames. now in an abc news exclusive. captain strupp reuniting with the little girl he saved. >> it's so good to meet you. can i have a sug? thank you so much. >> reporter: destiny, all smiles as she meets her hero. >> can you wave? this fire was very, ver emotional for me. anybody trapped in a fire is horrible. but when you hear children screaming, that ramps up the adrenaline. you know how brave your daddy is? he's very, very, very, very brave. your daddy sifed your life. >> reporter: the captain telling us meeting destiny reminded him why he became a firefighter. >> very seldom do we get to make the personal connection. if i retired today, i would have had a full fild career. to be able to see the f

abc's linzie janis is on the road in northern new jersey, morristown, where i used to do training campod morning, linzie. >> reporter: that's right, good morning, michael. millions across the country battling treacherous road conditions this morning. states of emergencies declared in alabama, north carolina and georgia, and here in the northeast as you can see the storm bearing down making for a slippery and dangerous morning commute. this was the scene for travelers across the country tuesday. >> watch out! >> reporter: a semi sliding out of control before slamming into a light post. and near houston, one crash reported when another truck careens down the same embankment. from texas to maine, dangerous driving conditions wreaking havoc. freeways littered with accidents. over 400 crashes in houston alone. overnight, highways backed up for miles and entire interstates shut down as the south plunges into a deep freeze. >> it's terribly frustrating. i don't even really know where i am at the moment. >> reporter: and in the north, ice-jammed rivers swamping roads even flooding entire neigh

linzie janis has more on the series and backlash. g, linzie. >> reporter: good morning, george. the new series comes from the makers of the critically acclaimed "the people v. o.j. simpson" and now days before it begins airing, the versace family breaking its silence slamming it as an unauthorized work of fiction. >> help! >> reporter: fx's upcoming series on the 1997 murder of fashion designer gianni versace making waves even before its debut. >> i won't allow that man, that nobody to kill my brother twice. >> reporter: the versace family including sister donatella portrayed by penelope cruz lashing out in a statement saying, the family neither authorized nor had any involvement whatsoever in the tv series, saying it should only be considered as a work of fiction. the versace series from fx follows the network's very successful "the people v. o.j. simpson." that critically acclaimed series racked up scores of awards including two golden globes and nine emmys. >> people sort of know the versace story, but they don't really and i think

abc's linzie janis is here.er is not holding back. >> she is speaking out to abc news denying she was abusive to her daughter saying she worked several jobs at a time so she could afford things like skating lessons and costumes for tonya. in her golden globe award-winning performance, allison janney portrays tonya harding's mother as an eccentric woman who wore a bird on her shoulder. >> stop that. >> reporter: and both physically and mentally abused her daughter. >> you're a monster. >> spilled milk, baby. >> reporter: it's a resemblance harding describes as uncanny. >> she was fabulous. >> reporter: for years harding has alleged that abuse as seen in the 1986 documentary "sharp edges." >> my relationship with my mom is really bad. she's not a good mother. she hits me and she beats me. and she did it on a regular basis. >> reporter: harding tells abc news' amy robach about a time when she says her mother threw a steak knife at her. >> i was about ten feet from her. >> and where did it land? >> right here. >> wh