December 12th...

Was going to be a short day.... looked like we were going to wrap it up in as little as 5 hours. Haven't had a short day in a long time.

We had finished working south and I had the #56 pointed north and heading back toward SF Jct. There the KCS was waiting for us to clear up so they could head south to Heavener. I had just finished a slow order and was getting back up to the allowable speed.

Fresno Street crossing was next. Bell on... whistle sounding... nothing coming my side... long whistle now as I near the crossing...

"BUST 'EM!!!!!" screamed my Conductor.

Instant wipe of the handle.

That sickening "bam" was heard, but barely felt.

As we were grinding to a halt, by raising slightly in my seat and peering down, I could barely see the hood of a white 90's model Lincoln Town Car impaled upon the nose of the Alco, its tires sprayed gravel toward the ditch.

The nose of my engine had made impact on the passenger side of the vehicle, an almost textbook "T bone".

As we came to a stop, the Conductor was already exiting the cab and on the company provided cell phone calling 911 emergency. The moment we stopped, I was up and on my way out to assist. Going out the cab door, I could see the driver's side door opening and movement within... looked like Larry was conversing with the driver. That's a good sign.

"Are there any passengers??" I yelled to Larry.

I was hoping the answer would be "no".

"Yes!. One!"

That was not the answer I was hoping for.

No way to reach the passenger from the engine side, for the car was firmly implanted on the pilot of the Alco.

Going quickly to the drivers side, I could see the driver was already out and standing: He was a male, in his late teens. Slight bleeding was coming from the side of his face. Understandably, the young man looked dazed. Larry (the Conductor) was tending to him.

I stuck my head into the driver's side to see another young male, also late teens, with a terrified look on his face. The coupler was completely inside the car, in his lap... his right arm was up above it and now resting on it. His upper torso was pushed over toward the drivers side. He was pinned and the extent of any injuries to his lower extremities could not be determined at this point. There were no apparent head or arm injuries.

When asked, he indicated that he thought he could move his toes. (Which we hoped was accurate, and if so, hopefully a good sign.)

Very quickly the emergency crews arrived on the scene, along with the news people. (How DO they find out about this stuff so quickly???)

Extraction from the drivers side was going to be nigh impossible. After determining their best option, the emergency crewman in charge asked if we could slowly ease the engine back.

After a quick job briefing with those concerned, I climbed back into the cab and took the seat. All were clear and Larry gave the easy back signal.

Easing the train back... I stopped once the nose was about 20' or 30' clear of the car. A quick yank by a member of the emergency crew and what was left of the door was pulled away.

Within seconds, unbelievably, the young male passenger was up and standing. The only apparent injury was a minor cut on his right leg.

Had impact been made 10" - 12" more to the rear... the coupler would have hit him squarely in his side, severing him at the midsection. It would have been a fatal injury.

Sitting there in the seat of that engine, and seeing him standing and okay... I had no doubt in my mind that I had just witnessed a Miracle on Fresno Street.

Incredible story Andre.
Thank the Lord no one was hurt any worse than what they were. Truly a miracle.

Oh My GOD! That kid will remember that forever, and you better believe he won't be trying to beat any trains! Incredible story!

I hope you are also doing ok

westswitch

Andre,

Miracles do still happen!!!

Thanks for sharing (its part of the "moving on" process).

Now, have a great holiday season! I'm sure those two boys will (they're alive!!!).

Bill

Wow! Very amazing story.

Btw: The reason that the news crews find out so fast is that they are constantly monitoring police/fire radio scanners and when the police or fire department are dispatched to go to the scene the news crews know what is going on as well at the same time.

Undoubtedly, there is more at work here than mere happenstance...

Surely those young men are destined for better things, and we all know the type of man whose hand was on the throttle...

Any other outcome would have been a grave injustice...

Rest easy, friend...

Andre, wasn't it a little less than two weeks ago the KCS train ripped the hood off a truck just south of SF junction? (about a mile north up the track) It made the front page of the newspaper the next day. Reading the caption I didn't realize A&M had a couple of gray EMD locomotives. I'll echo what everyone else has said...praise the Lord that those two young men weren't hurt any worse than they were.

westswitch:

Yes, I am doing okay. Thanks for thinking about me. It could have been so much worse. In the past, my vocation has called me in on a shot gun slaying (first at the scene), vehicular accidents, accidental amputations, etc, so I was braced-up for what I could possibly see as I rounded the trunk of that Lincoln on my way to stick my head in that door. Doesn't mean I go LOOKING for such carnage, but unfortunately, I'm not a stranger to it.

Also, unfortunately, in my vocation the odds are very good that such a scene will be repeated, doubtful with such a good outcome the next time.

Zack:

Correct you are that it was the KCS that hit a semi at Navy street crossing.

FWIW:

In regards to railroads, it's been a devastating couple months around Ft. Smith. We've also had two pedestrian run-overs at Ft. Smith on the A&M, both involving victims under the influence of substance abuse. Victim #1 lost a leg (semi-passed out and laying between the tracks), the victim #2 a hand and part of a foot. (Don't know the circumstances.)

WHY can't people learn to STAY AWAY FROM THE RAILROAD TRACKS????

Re: Victim #2. When morning came, we learned there was a missing part that had to be found. We did.

Eeeewwwww! Well, I guess it comes with the territory.

Wrecker (aka tow truck) drivers deal with the same sort of stuff

Hunted down the TV video from Ft Smith last night. After seeing the car, it truly is a miracle that no one was hurt that bad. Physically that is. Wonder what kind of nightmares you get after being hit by a train and being pushed sideways with a coupler in your lap?

And Andre, I can't imagine the feeling in your stomach when you know what's going to happen, and powerless to do more than your reaction has already done. Glad you're okay.

My Dad could never figure out why I liked trains so much after losing a grandfather and an uncle to vehicle-train accidents. I told him that at least he knew that I would never try to beat a train to a crossing!

Jim

It is always amazing how anyone can think that they will win against a train in such a situation. Its like playing Russian Roulette with six chambers loaded. I hope for minor injuries in these cases because the train crew doesn't deserve to have to go through the trama.

Bill Hobbs

Hi Andre I haven't been around for a while, I'm glad you are OK and that no one was seriously injured. If any one has doubts about the almighty this should be proof. I'll probably be thought of as a candidate for the loony bin, but it still befuddles me as to why with all the stuff that happens involving trains and cars/ trucks, etc.; why Movies/TV still think its exciting to show someone being stupid attempting to beat a train to a crossing. You just know that some poor misguided soul is gonna think "I could do that easy" thereby sewing a seed for a disaster. I do give credit to the news media for reporting such things even though they get it right only a small percent of the time. Sad there is no instant solution to prevent such accidents. I don't know if I would call devine intervention a miracle, but its as good as any other description.

Take care and be safe

Worker dies after train car derails
Police unsure how BNSF employee was injured fatally

December 29, 2007
By Erika Wurst Staff Writer
YORKVILLE ILLINOIS -- A Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway employee was killed Friday morning in a train derailment here.

At around 10 a.m., police were called to the 200 block of Wheaton Avenue near the F.E. Wheaton lumber yard, west of Route 47, where they found a partially overturned train car and a deceased worker.

Emergency workers gather where a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train derailment killed a railway employee Friday west of Route 47 near Yorkville.
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe worker died at the scene of this train derailment Friday in Yorkville. Authorities, who had not identified the victim by press time Friday night, said it is not known how he was injured and if the derailed car was involved in his death.
Authorities do not yet know how the employee, who was working on a crew involved in a routine switching operation on a side track, was killed.
Steve Forsberg, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Regional general director of public affairs, said he does not know how the fatal injuries occurred.
"How the employee was injured and whether or not the derailed car was involved is unknown," he said. "It is still being investigated."
Snow poured down on officers who worked to piece together the scene. Yellow caution tape surrounded the track, where the freight train car still sat derailed, surrounded by firetrucks and bundled-up officers.
The Yorkville Police Department, along with Plano officers, Kendall County sheriff's deputies and the Bristol-Kendall Fire Department responded to the incident.
Upon arrival, officers secured the scene for the Kendall County coroner and Burlington Northern Santa Fe investigators.
Workers at the lumber yard, just yards away from were the freight train derailed, chugged away with their daily duties in the cold.
Personal information about the victim had not been released Friday night as Yorkville police worked to notify family members.
Click to view attachment

Update
It was reported that this gentleman was 62 years young with 37 years seniority. This is a sad story and a reminder to all of us how precious life can really be. It appears he was standing at the swith stand when the last bulkhead jumped the frog. With heavy snow and slippery conditions there was no way to escape.

Yorkville is just east of me about 5 miles. I 1st noticed a problem when there was no train movements on Friday midday. Followed by the observance of the CZ stopped for several hours west of town and then a light power move with 1 GP38 eastbound from Mendota. The story was posted Saturady morning.

Couple days before Christmas up here in Calgary, we had an 80 yr old try to beat the train. Fortunately his car only got clipped and although trapped for awhile, he got away with just minor injuries. Pretty amazing when you consider his age and how far his car was spun off the road.

Rob

Most the time the elderly are not in such a hurry as everyone else. I remember when we were coming up on 10th St. in Oklahoma City (a dangerous 4-lane crossing) running around 10mph. It was at the peak of rush hour and everybody is trying to beat us, even 18 wheelers, so the engineer and I are on our toes looking and being alert. We get about 5 car lengths from the crossing when the South bound lane comes to a hault. When we start to cross I look down to see both the "haulting" vehicles to have older gentlemen drivers. They just smile and wave. Of course I give a big smile and wave back.

I didn't notice this thread until today. Glad to hear you're OK, Andre, and that the injuries to the car's occupants was minor. I just saw some images of the scene, and I gotta' say those two were some lucky dudes!

Cheers!
Marc

Man using GPS drives in front of train

A Global Positioning System can tell a driver a lot of things - but apparently not when a train is coming. A computer consultant driving a rental car drove onto train tracks Wednesday using the instructions his GPS unit gave him. A train was barreling toward him, but he escaped in time and no one was injured.

The driver had turned right, as the system advised, and the car somehow got stuck on the tracks at the crossing. He jumped out and tried to warn the engineer by waving. He got out of the way just before the train slammed into the car at 60 mph, Metro-North railroad spokesman Dan Brucker said Thursday.

The car was pushed more than 100 feet during the fiery crash.

Some 500 train passengers were stranded for more than two hours during the Wednesday evening rush hour. The accident also heavily damaged 250 feet of rail, Brucker said.

The railroad said that the driver was issued a minor summons for obstructing a railroad crossing and that he and his rental company would be liable for the damage, estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.