Train went through stop signal before fatal head-on crash, investigator says
BY CHRIS CASTEEL NewsOK.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
2/27/13 at 3:22 AM
WASHINGTON - A Union Pacific Railroad freight train blew through a stop signal going 65 mph in June before it hit another Union Pacific train near Goodwell, and the crew made no attempt to slow down until seconds before the head-on collision, which killed three people, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator said Tuesday.
The investigation is incomplete, and no probable cause has been determined for the June 24 collision in Texas County. Records released by the board Tuesday showed that none of the four crew members - two on each train - had previous disciplinary actions at Union Pacific, which has mandatory suspensions for employees who violate stop signals.
Records of the crews' cellphones show that none was in use just before or at the time of the midmorning crash.
Meeting Tuesday to discuss the accident, the board focused on safety training and human error in general, questioning officials from Union Pacific, the Federal Railroad Administration and the union that represents locomotive engineers and trainmen.
Original Print Headline: Train's stop signal went unheeded, investigator says
Click here to read the complete article at NewsOK.com.
