The truck sat on the track for 45 minutes and nobody on scene called the number on the blue sign at the crossing - if they had this accident could have been prevented.
Federal training for all transport and escort companies and also law enforcement to check and recheck all routes, have the direct contact numbers to the railroads, have pilot vehicles with overhead and under clearance sensors, These kind of wrecks have been going on for many decades and are soo preventable
the 2 workers didn't derserve any of this. lowbeds and train crossings just don't work. gov't needs to set regulations for safer crossings that are engineered to allow crossing of lowbeds without bottoming out.
@@jarnailbrar6732I have actually seen signs POSTED by the RAILROADS stating, Trucks with low center of gravity, DO NOT CROSS TRACKS. USE NEXT CROSSING. But sadly, those signs, many times GET IGNORED and the truck driver crosses anyway, with similar results of their truck getting STUCK on the tracks. You just can't fix stupid. So sometimes(most often) there are ⚠️WARNING⚠️SIGNS⚠️ posted, so the government might have suggested these warnings, but when a driver FAILS TO HEED THESE WARNINGS, what can you do? Sometimes those crossings due to terrain can't be modified. So sometimes it's just going to be a no win situation when drivers REFUSE TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS WHEN POSTED. Like stated, you just can't fix stupid.
Blame is on multiple people. The oversized load that got high centered on the tracks had to have a permit from the state which specifies a route for that load based on it's dimensions. Ultimately the driver (I am a driver of 31 years) should have questioned whether the crossing was safe for that load.
if it is a state permit issued route. the driver has NO responsibility there. as by law the state should be measuring ALL permit load routes, and takes all responsibility before issuing such permits.
When hauling an oversize load in Texas, the state will provide you with a proposed route through their permitting system, which you then need to review and potentially survey physically to confirm its suitability for your load; essentially, you plan the trip with the state's guidance on the best route for your oversized cargo based on your provided load details. So much for being a truck driver for 30 years as a qualification for who's right and who's wrong huh😂
I was a escort driver for years on these same exact pieces for windmills ! I agree with you ! Most times the route is driven pre trip by a operator to check the states route determined.
yeap, they supposed to get clearance from the railroad company before crossing and be on call before and after crossing, but someone didn't want to wait for the clearance which could take hours, because this track is very very busy, so they gamble and lost
Another reminder of just how dangerous railroading is as a vocation. I did not mis-speak, I retired as a Locomotive Engineer after 30 years of service and there for the presence of good luck could have been me. My utmost condolence to 2 BROTHER railroad men who gave their lives in the performance of their duty. To their families and friends-my utmost sympathy and respect.Godspeed.
Yup, I did 33 years on the RR as a locomotive engineer. Been retired 18 years. I remember hitting the trucks. I truly feel sorry for the families. God bless them in their trying times.
I acknowledge it’s unrealistic but I wish RR X-ings never existed anywhere on Earth .. a seemingly endless number of catastrophes just waiting to happen 😔
@@reynaldomartinez7076 Another Brother! Thank You! What is so terrible,even beyond the deaths of OUR Brother Engineer and Conductor,is the fact that Christmas is ruined for the survivors,probably forever. I hope that at least,there are no young children in those 2 families. Take Care.
The truck driver and his team need to be charged significantly here. This is raw negligence. They had plenty of time to notify rail company or police that they had an issue on the tracks. These are some bungling idiots at work here, they need to pay.
@@g.w.7893 Jail time would not be to much to ask due to the deaths and damage. There are Signs at EVERY crossing that you call the Instant you are stalled on the tracks and EVERYONE has phones now!!
@@dannyfierro3870 I "AM" a Truck driver, Class B concrete mix truck driver. and I know, and my company has rules that IF for some reason my truck stalls on tracks. I CALL THE NUMBER!!! IMMEDIATELY before ANYTHING ELSE!!!!
These news agencies all need to do better in situations like this. End with how to save something like this from happening!! The truck was stuck there for AN HOUR!! ALL crossings have an emergency blue sign to call in case something happens at that crossing. It links with the railroad and they can stop all rail traffic approaching that crossing!!!
Correct. Also, as part of the permitting process they need to have an emergency phone number to call the railroad company for situations like this. As part of the permitting process they were given a time slot of the truck going to cross the tracks. Somebody said the truck was stuck for almost an hour so that time slot had already expired. So question remains did somebody call the RR to explain that the truck is stuck on the tracks. That's something the news journalist should have asked.
If it is true they were there for an entire hour without notifying the railroad, Should be Vehicular Manslaughter charges at minimum. That train crew did not have to die. That Trucking company and anyone attached to is are done for, the Railroad and those Families are going to own every asset they have. I have called the number on those boxes before to report issues with crossings, and never waited on hold more then 5 minutes, this goes for BNSF, UP, and CPKC railroad crossings. Someone fucked up BIG time here.
The be fair, the role of news media is to observe and report. Findings shouldn't be pinned on them. What if they are wrong? They could be sued. Leave that to others more qualified.
Just like every other time something tragic like this happens, the officials will say something like "We didn't connect the dots....and We will need hundreds of millions more in public funding to work on this issue"
They can't even pronounce the name of their town correctly! It's PAY-COSE.... Pecos, like Pecos Bill. I live in Pecos, New Mexico, I know what I am fuggin talking about! 😳
@kendrapratt2098 Granted we can't see how badly the side of the depot facing the tracks was damaged but if it was just the end I'd imagine the city would restore the damaged portion. Barring that, I could see the damaged area removed and the building repaired as a shorter structurė. (Which would just add to its history.)
This is ENTIRELY the trucking company’s fault. I speak for everyone when I say that. They should’ve called the emergency number that is placed on every crossing in the USA. They should’ve called that number to halt the trains in that area to PREVENT this very thing from happening. Union Pacific should file a lawsuit because I’ve heard that that truck was stuck for over an hour.
If the truck was there for any length of time, "someone mentioned an hour"! Then surely police or someone of "authority" was there. Why the Hell did no one call the emergency notification nmbr at the crossing? Idiotic police work!!
@@rogermosberger6856 because everyone claiming that the truck was stuck for over an hour merely "heard it" from someone else, so there's no actual proof it was stuck that long.
Those lithium batteries being shipped in one of the derailed rail cars could be a major problem. Once damaged, they can ignite and explode very dangerously.
From a Railroad family, my great uncle Railroaded from the 1950's to my pops Railroading for 38 years and myself Railroading for 25 years.. This really hurts me, Rest in Peace my Railroad Brothers.. from the Santa Fe / BNSF family.. 😔🙏🏼
@@CZR1951 why dont they fix the crossings properly? I've rode Amtrak, the railbeds are so rough, I dont see how the train stays on the track. And speeding through populated areas? Jesus, these things are guided missiles.
@@KBS117 I'm pretty sure it's on the DOT to fix/flatten the approaches, as roads are generally granted easements over the tracks, not the other way around. The RR does have to remove/maintain the crossing panels occasionally to smooth out the tracks underneath (the rail shifts slightly over time as the panels/planks must be bolted to the ties for safety). In any case, the truck/pilot car drivers and cops are at fault here, as the trailer was reportedly hung up for 45 minutes and nobody thought to call the hotline, which is listed on every active crossing in North America along with it's identifier. Rail is safer than trucking and the majority of injuries and fatalities are from people illegally driving through crossings and trespasser strikes. P.S.: Pull up the Google street view and you can see that basically the only thing within 75+ feet of the right of way in the whole town is that Chamber of Commerce building, which is a former RR station.
@@KBS117trains can go fast cause 99% of the time their is nothing stopping them, and anybody who gets in the way is plain stupid. Of course, there's that 1% like this truck driver/convoy.
Another video I saw on this accident showed a sheriff's deputy standing next to the track. He should have known to look at the blue sign at the crossing and to call the train company to warn about the situation. The pilot car driver should have warned the truck driver about the steep approach to the crossing. The truck driver should have had an assistant on the ground as he attempted to cross the track to warn him if the trailer was going to bottom out. Then he could have backed out of the situation. Plenty of blame to go around.
This just isn't how it works. I work in this industry and know. The Pilot Car in front, probably did warn the Truck about the hump on the crossing, the truck driver probably did stop as soon as it hung up, and try to back up, (noone uses a spotter on foot for this, NOONE, and it wouldn't make any difference). Someone said allegedly a UP Dispatcher was notified about the Truck on the Crossing, and FORGOT about it. No warning = collision.
Yes. I had assumed it was a wind blade . Maybe a pipe. Either way , we need to remember the U P crew . See Tracks. Think Train. That is a heavily used line
As a truck driver with 42+ sucessful years, what ever trailer you are pulling is your focus. A tall van trailer, you pay attention to your overhead clearance. A lowboy trailer you pay attention to your road clearance. Prrayers for ALL involved.
The thing that angers me is the guys in the train cab had nothing to do with this, could see it coming, and could do nothing to stop. They literally had to sit there and watch the disaster unfold until the moment of impact when they list their lives.
Worked for a railroad for 40+ years. Knew of many stories where crews either got killed or wound up with PTDS all because of people not obeying rules at grade crossings. The crews can only do so much to try to prevent these incidents. Too sad for all involved. My condolences to the friends and family of those killed. God bless.
Every truck you see has a sign on back HIRING DRIVERS so any ole dummy will apply and probablyget hited. We see how bad they drive their cars, they'll be that much worse in a big truck but nobody cares, just get that freight moved and hopefully we won't kill too many people.
Low boys and low bellies should be banned. If you cant build it on site then it shouldnt be built. Cop stopped me the other in front of an elementary school and asked me why I stopped so far back from the white line (there is a light there). I told him so I can see the babies clear the street. These were babies about five, six or seven years old. I cant see them over the hood.
@robertmason7553 lmao. I'm sure they will build an excavator piece by piece at every construction site. Watermain breaks? Going to be a while have to build heavy equipment first. Then I guess you just leave it there.
They were probably trying to cover their own as$ by not calling because, it could get reported to the trucking company's insurance company. So, they gambled & lost..That's just my guess, but, many catastrophes start off like that.
@@Chris_Wolfgram I drove for 10 years and most CDL drivers do not know this and is not taught in trucking schools. When I try to mention it, no response from instructors.
Why wasn't a warning given to the oncoming freight train?? Why was that semi allowed to remain on the tracks??? Who failed to do their jobs at cost of people's lives!!!
@@DraggonCanoe You are still explaining nothing. What is your evidence, and how does it point to a terrorist act planned by the truck driver, to the exclusion of other possibilities?
He did sit on the tracks. And HE WAS in charge of that load, but that doesn't explain anything here. Why are people saying nobody contacted the railroad ??
@@elmerhuyard3565I always had a scanning radio when I was trackside with active RR Frequencies programmed into it. If I saw an issue or problem, I called the railroad 800 number on the sign so they could warn an approaching train of an issue on or near the tracks or crossing. If I didn't hear Dispatch talking to the train crew within 1-2 minutes of my call to them, I would call back and say I just called you about an issue/problem, yet I have heard NO COMMUNICATION with the train crew, and report the issue a 2nd time, although it WAS VERY RARE that I ever had to call back a 2nd time, as I usually heard dispatch tell the train crew they needed to stop their train immediately due to problems a few miles up or down the rail line. I also called the local law enforcement folks to let them know of the issue/problem, and the FIRST THING the Emergency Dispatcher asked me "Has the railroad been notified", I always said yes, but even so, Emergency Dispatch also called the Railroad to be sure they were aware. From what happened here, it seems no such calls or protocols were put in place. And sadly 2 railroad workers died due to FULL ON NEGLIGENCE of the trucking crew AND the local law enforcement. I put the blame on everyone here, except the railroad, because it sure appears no one contacted UP about the issue, there WAS MORE THAN AMPLE TIME TO DO SO, and PREVENT THESE DEATHS! Will be anxiously waiting for what the NTSB, UP, and the FRA tell us what REALLY happened here.
My condolences to the families, I feel deeply saddened for them . This brings up a lot of feelings as I lost my husband in 1995 to a train wreck due to a rock slide the train landed at the bottom of Kootenay lake in BC , Canada , my husband was the engineer, a break man had also died. I’m praying for these families 😢🙏🏻❤️
The blue sign is there for a multitude of reasons!!!! Absolutely no excuse for no one to completely neglect calling the number on the sign and let UP dispatch know what was going on. The truck was there for 45 minutes and UP had no idea?!?!? Complete neglect and absolute stupidity on everyone who was at that crossing worrying more about getting viral video than stopping train traffic.
How do we know if the RR was contacted? If they were notified and didn't shut down the train, then they would be responsible as well. It's too early to lay any blame.
Who's to blame? The ones that failed to call the UP dispatch number on the blue tag with the crossing number on it to tell them the crossing was blocked. Every crossing has this tag. I've heard the crossing was blocked for at least 45 minutes. 2 families are forever impacted by this needless tragedy! Please explain how local officials on scene didn't know to do this!
Everybody thinks that a train can stop on a dime. WRONG! It takes a mile long train traveling at the speed limit almost another mile or more to stop unless it derails like in this instance. Every Police or Sheriff's department should know what to do when a crossing is blocked. All the safety campaigns about safety at railroad crossings are worthless if nobody (Especially law enforcement) pays any attention. A oversized load requires USDOT/TDOT permitting to travel highways and to cross rail lines. Sounds like the truck company messed up by not notifying UP that this vehicle /oversized load would be in the area so that they could have their own people there to spot the truck at the crossing to ensure safe passage and stop rail traffic if they could see a problem. I guarantee the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate this thoroughly and, in the end, will determine that the Trucking did not do its due diligence in ensuring that all parties were notified and the trailer holding the load would have enough clearance between the bottom of the trailer and the top of the rails at any point to actually make the needed transit. That is why there are rules to govern this type of movement. And obviously they were not followed and two men died. What a giant CLUSTER.
What if they did call and Union Pacific Dispatch forgot about it and didn't send the warning? Union Pacific after all, has been vehemently fighting a recent Railroad Safety Bill trying to be passed in Legislature, claiming that the requirements are "excessive and overburdening on the Railroad Company".
Agreed. The train derailed... The train hit... Makes it seem like this was the railroad's fault when it wasn't. Though in honesty the moving train did hit a stationary truck.
well yeah it DID run into the lowboy trailer that had a huge piece of equipment on it and that huge pipe took out the Chamber of Commerce building in Pecos. Try watching the videos that show what happned on UA-cam instead of local tv stations.
RIP to the train conductor and the locomotive engineer, condolences to their families and friends, and lawsuits to all people who let it happen through their negligence and their employers.
It may be the victims employers. We don't know for sure yet. Everyone is blaming the Truck, but something seems off about that, considering it was sitting there for 45 mins and Law Enforcement was on scene, etc.
The escort has the responsibility to ensure the route is suitable for the vehicle and the size and weight of the load,the truck driver should have been well aware of the limitations of his rig as well,combined with the communication breakdown,incredible incompetence on a grand scale. Some individuals will be getting reamed over this.
When a truck is moving a large load such as this, they should be on the phone with the railroad. They would know the time frame when a train is due, and if anything goes wrong, the railroad would have plenty of time to stop the train. These guidelines were not followed, and people died. Someone will go to prison.
@rona4960 back in the day I was involved in Super Loads. DOT and highway patrol in attendance. Nothing moved until the ducks were lined up. Railroad tracks a half a block from the starting point.
If the state/ local authorities gave that route, they should be to blame. Also the truck was stuck for an hour, which was more than enough time for the train to stop
Lot of times train companies dont disclose when they are gonna be going through an area even with the call. Then anyone could call and get that info and do whatever they want with it i.e. derail the train
RIP to 2 rails. Hope the families get what they can from the negligent trucking company, authorities and even the RR (UPRR isn’t exactly kind to their employees). As a former Locomotive Engineer this is sickening. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the 2 rails.
@ the really sad part is I’m sure UPRR claims agents already are trying to settle with the families and/or get them to sign papers releasing them of liability. The whole thing is just sad.
No it's not. This attitude is ridiculous. Allegedly, a Dispatcher at Union Pacific was Notifed, but FORGOT about it, and did not dispatch the obstruction.
@@kotexconnection3804lol, these people can't usually spell and lack logic. The rr company is to also blame, same with the state that gave the route/permit, if the truck was stuck for an hour. They must've been contacted the rr company
@@F82_ where is your proof that someone contacted the RR company? RR crossings have an emergency number posted on a sign for you to call in the event you're stuck on the tracks. How do you know the truck was stuck for an hour? It's not the RR company's fault that some dingus was high-centered on their tracks.
The RR doesn’t know about the dang truck unless you call it in. They had an hour but didn’t call it in. So a train hits it. The railroad is not at fault one bit.
This train derailment and subsequent deaths are tragic but where did this girl learn to speak? "feet away from the epicenter where tragedy... killing two lives." She didn't get much public speaking in school. I hope the news station will put her through some training instead of just spitting out gibberish in front of a camera.
Almost 30 year Railroader here. If you have a stuck vehicle on the track, please call 911 or the hotline number on the silver box next to the road crossing...it would have saved the lives of my fellow Railroaders. I pray for the families of the lost 🙏.
How do so many trucks get caught on tracks like this, why isn’t someone out spotting the truck as it cross’s the track. How dumb are these people! Seriously.
The town where this happened, was the same town where my dad & his sisters went to school. The stretch of highway (HIghway 285) that these same stretch of tracks are on, you keep going 6 miles north. There's a curve. You look to your left, you see a stucco house, or what's left of it. That's where my dad, his sisters grew up & lived w/my grandparents. I don't envy the police officers, state troopers, who had to work this accident. I also don't envy the officer, or officers, who had to inform the people that their husband, father, brother, son, etc wasn't coming home. Tragic. Hopefully, there will be some SERIOUS consequences from this. Maybe this will be a learning experience. People just don't have any common sense, or don't know how to use it. And right before Christmas. Condolences to the families of these victims. Prayers, as well.
Yep, some claims are that the Dispatcher at Union Pacific forgot about the call, and therefore the Engineers did not know there was an obstruction. Sometimes this stuff happens really fast, with a Train that is out of site, at the moment, but near. When it happens 45 minutes to an hour after the Truck gets stuck, in a town, with law enforcement on scene, that leaves me only to be able to believe that the fault is not that noone called, it's that the message about the obstruction was never delivered to the Train Engineer.
Something else that leads me to believe that, is it was in the News a couple Months ago about Union Pacific fighting a Railroad Safety Bill in Legislature, contending that it's excessive and too burdensome on the Railroad Company. But everyone wants to blame the Truck Driver. I work in this business, and my ex-father in law was a life long Railroad man. The Railroad thinks it's invincible, and should not be held accountable.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661 so let’s say the truck gets snagged and the train is already close, that is going to be a difficult situation to avoid a collision. But if the truck gets snagged and there is sufficient time for the train to slow why can’t they have an emergency response kit at the crossing? For example, a flare gun and a cb radio already tuned to trains that are in the vicinity? It seems so easy to solve.
@@JohnSmith-vu6zd They already have all the equipment necessary to stop a train at every crossing in the United States and Canada. It's a blue and white sign either on the crossing gates or on a square building within a few hundred feet of the crossing. There's a 1-800 number that you can call, which puts you in touch with the railroad dispatch, along with a crossing number; which tells the dispatch exactly where you're calling them from. The problem is most people don't even know that these signs exist, and I'm not sure whether it's talked about in driver's ed, or even in talks about railroad safety.
@ well if that’s the case it’s obviously time for a publicity campaign, and they need a system like that here in Australia, because we have nothing here.
Gee, maybe the people hauling the huge pipe could have taken measurements of that RR crossing and determined the problem with the semi trailer ahead of time, then two Union Pacific Railroad employees could still be alive with us.
If they would had simply called the railroad to tell them that they were going to cross that track at that time, they could had told the crew to slow down and check that crossing.
@@g.w.7893 The cops were already there. Also, from first hand experience, 911 is useless for RR problems. By the time they figure out who to call it's too late. No idea why Emergency numbers for RR's aren't available to 911 Dispatchers.
How long was the truck on the tracks before it was hit? That's an important piece of information. Need to train folks that as soon as they are stuck, go to the blue sign that is by every crossing and call the number on it. Goes straight to the railroad dispatchers who can warn the train the quickest.
@@elmerhuyard3565 Because if it had been called in (to UP) the train would have been stopped... And if it was called in to the city and they didn't notify the railroad then someone dropped the ball big time.. Anytime a railroad crossing is involved the RR should be the called immediately.
@334honda they installed windmills all around where I used to live and they had to travel on a permitted route. If they had to change they had to get cleared to go of of the route. Just what I've been told. Worked at a company that built a 180 spreader bar going from Illinois to Canada. They had to had a designated route and they would have to stop until they could get cleared to use that route. They can't just drive anywhere. Still require a state permit for weight and route for every state passing through.
@@334honda This was not a solar, nor windmill part. This was for a oil extraction part. I see windmills shipped every day, and this is not one of them. The issue here is that they simply did not call the railroad ahead of time to let them know that they were going to cross the track at that time. That would had given the railroad time to stop or slow trains at that crossing to verify it was clear. I have been a railroad engineer for nearly 20 years, not with UP.
@@334hondaplease don't comment because you are clearly not in heavy haul, escorting, or any remotely related industry. Each state issues a permit for weight and ALL dimensions and issues a route that will accommodate the load based on those dimensions. This is called a super load, and it requires a physical survey to be performed before the route is approved because this load is beyond standard permit limits.
This truck driver knew the route in advance as they would have needed to get permits and so forth as you can see they had a police escort as well so they all knew the route well in advance as they don't just spring this stuff on you first thing in the morning and just a simple google maps and double checking any place they saw RR tracks with a street view would have shown the height difference and the driver could have questions things before even moving the load the next day.. Totally preventable ...
Take a look on Google StreetView and you can see gouge marks in the crossing pavement from previous truck strikes. That should be clue number one. The trailer they had was equipped with multiple axles and raising equipment so no idea why it got stuck, especially for such an extended period of time.
This is hwy 285, serving the west Texas oilfeilds. It's called the 'death highway' there were 93 deaths in 2017 for just a150 mile stretch of this highway. It's so heavily used by oilfield equipment trucks, that there is broken off truck tire tread every foot on the side of the road
I sure hope Pecos presses charges against everyone involved with the trucking company that caused this unnecessary loss of life. They are supposed to be professionals and they did everything possible to prove otherwise!
@ One of the videos shows a police presence just before the collision. Also, Pecos is a very small town, nearly everyone of importance was aware of this situation.
The Truck driver should be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of the 2 train employees, yes I know there were many more involved with moving a big load like this over the road but as all truck drivers know, The driver has the final say regarding safety when on public roads and how did the driver let this happen is beyond me..
@@muffs55mercury61 Ultimately it's his decision to cross a grade like that and those that move those sort of loads are very experienced. He may have been following the designated route laid out but he will be held accountable for what happened. Sadly, his life as he knew it is over, those that chose that as a route will throw him under the train.
If it’s true the truck was on the tracks, stuck for an hour , that’s criminal and disgustingly tragic. Once stuck the calls to the railroad to stop any trains is 100% paramount. If the truck is able to proceed or even back up off the tracks that’s great the stop the train demand can be reversed and no harm done. Side note… I’ve been in Alpine Texas near the college and Main Street while driving coast to coast freight many times. The speed of that train scared the hell outta me going through a residential/business and school area. It was smoking fast! I assume that Pecos train was probably the same. When there are high quality escort truck services like the video shows were on scene (supposedly) this isn’t supposed to be possible. Although it is videotaped that the pilot truck still didn’t know what to do even after impact it must be determined what that driver was doing to rectify the situation. Their phone should have been seized and they needed to be drug tested along with the semi driver same thing. Truckers that get these hauls are no slouches, somebody else caused this driver to get hung up somehow. I hate that his career is over and that truck will no longer haul sweet loads, at least by him (or her) video looked like a dude so….
If they would had just called the railroad.. they would had put a road crossing warning to the train crew to slow down and check that crossing and "be prepared to stop".
I'm so sad to hear that those two were killed. When I seen the engine go off the tracks I knew they were going to die. That is so much weight out of control. My condolences😔
One thing that I have noticed over the years. When the RR companies replace the tracks where the road crosses, they raise them higher each time. The track below the house elevation has been raised by 3 feet in the past seven years. But they only put enough ramp over the tracks. I know railroads have they right away but also bear some responsibility when they do that too. I think there should be some kind of coordination between the RR and local governments to ensure the road raise also.
Sure, but a truck driver should know that some trailers can be high-centered on a railroad crossing, and should stop and check the clearance before attempting a crossing which is not flat.
@@GH-oi2jfI agree, but could have been changed since the last time he came thru? Looked like he was carrying a wind turbine base, so might be a wind farm near by. Also didn’t see a low clearance sign on news clips or on google maps.
@@AbelG8781 Most probably the trailer dollies (landing gear) got stuck on the tracks or payment; once this happen is very difficult to disengage. As a former truck driver, anytime I was crossing train tracks I make sure my dollies (landing gear) were on the most upper position and if there was a hump on the tracks, I would drive very slow to make sure that if they touch ground, I back up.
@@AbelG8781 Well, obviously mistakes were made. The question is whose were the cause(s). The truck was routed over that crossing. It looked like it was stuck. So, the people who routed it are in the mix. Then, it was an oversize load. Presumably, permitted. So, the permitting authority is in the mix. Then, the driver and escorts tried to cross, even though it looked like the road had a crown at the crossing. So, they are in the mix. Then, once the truck was stuck, the PD had a duty to call in the blocked tracks. as did the driver, dispatcher and escorts. So, more in the mix. Finally, if it was called in, was the train dispatcher informed? So that the train traffic could be stopped. And if the dispatcher knew, was it passed along to the crew. And if the crew knew, did they get enough warning to stop? Even more people in the mix. And, was this crossing one that had a history of groundings? If so, that adds even more folks to the blame game that's about to start.
@@realmassconsumption Yeah. But, that does not say who screwed the pooch. An oversize load is permitted and has an assigned route. That they cannot deviate from. So, who ran the route first and determined that it was safe?
Freight train crews almost always make it out alive in accidents like these, truly shocking and tragic. From what I can piece together from the footage and aftermath photos, the leading locomotive tipped over after derailing, which was then hit by the derailing rolling stock trailing behind it. In essence they were run over by their own train, which caused the fatalities. Very very sad
What idiot in a truck sits on a train track for 45 minutes and nobody notices or railway wasn’t informed, inquiring minds would like to know ? 💯🤔🤷🏾♂️🤨 SMH
I guess noone ever thinks that the Railroad Dispatch could have caused this, by not sending notification to the train? We will find out won't we? Why does everyone always assume it's the Trucker's fault? People just have something against Truckers. I get it, there's a lot of them that shouldn't be driving, period, but that's not the Majority, and certainly not common in the Heavy Haul business. And the way it actually works, is no matter what the Escort says to the Trucker, the Trucker makes the final call, and often that is to ignore the Escorts concerns, because Escorts aren't always "ex" truck drivers, and may not know what they are talking about, which is also true a lot of the time.
Multi million dollar disaster and deaths caused by act of incompetence, and the truck driver decides to move his truck away from scene of accident, guy should be behind bars.
What if the Union Pacific Dispatcher didn't send out the call? Why does everyone assume that communication wasn't broken and potentially the cause of this collision? Of course everyone will come here, and comment, react out of ignorance before the Investigation is completed, and then likely never hear about this again, and next time they see an accident like this they will just blame the Trucker again. So sad.
@ Not necessarily the truckers fault but the entire company is at fault here but at no point should the driver decide to move his truck. These disasters only happen in the US. Go any where else and you need permits and a road plan before moving any abnormal loads. Australia/Europe etc have air- hydraulic operated trailers that can be raised to avoid simple problems like this. Sometimes getting the correct gear and knowledge will save you millions in disaster.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661Real simple---IF the UP dispatcher did NOT warn the train-- they will be sued, by UP. Railroads do not need this type of distraction. Let the law figure it out.
it's so nice to hear that Joe Keese Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce was so concerned about himself, "By the grace of God I am still here" and "I thought I was going to die" when 2 workers from the Railroad company DID DIE, and their families will have Christmas without their loved ones. You really should be ashamed of yourself!
The truck driver should been charged with murder stuck on the tracks for hour not calling the railroad on the infomation blue dot tag number. This would’ve been prevented
With all our technology a train can’t be automatically put in emergency or stopped if a crossing is fouled? NOT THE TRAINS FAULT OR IT’S CREW!!! How many must die or be injured before our 21st century technology helps here. Little blue signs are great but technology can do more. On a side note I will say most professional drivers ARE AGED PROFESSIONALS but there are a lot of new drivers that are not and think they are in their family car. I know too Murphy is always waiting and 💩 happens.
What if the Dispatcher from Union Pacific didn't send out the message? Does he deserve Prison? I'd hope you treat all equally with the Prison time sentencing.
What if it was the Union Pacific Dispatcher's fault for not sending out the message? You think noone on scene called the number to report it in 45 mins to an hour before the collision? Law Enforcement protocol is to call the Railroad Immediately, and they were on scene.
@xxcrazy_critr6661 you are funny. The truck driver has 2 people to spot him to look for low bridges to look for things unusual and let him know before they get in a situation. It is all three of their faults
@@xxcrazy_critr6661Then, UP will sue -- and possibly charge the dispatcher. This is a MAJOR screw up--- the right person who dropped the ball will take the hit.
I seen another video of the train hitting the truck. That train was moving about 70 to 80 mph it seemed. The whole front of the train was lifted up off the tracks.
Ok, so ‘By the grace of god’ that guy is alive but is it by the same ‘grace’ that the others lost their lives? Doesn’t everything happen according to god’s plan? Sorry, you can’t have it both ways…either god saved you and killed them or neither…and if it killed the others, what kind of god is that?!
I thought the same thing, like, really , it's not like you're in the way anymore idiot . Why would that be your first move after watching that horror unfold.
Almost everyone commenting here is wrong. If the Truck was on the State Approved Permitted route, and had sufficient ground clearance on his trailer according to the Permit, and he got stuck on the track, the only way the Trucking Company is liable is perhaps if they were sitting there for an hour without calling the number to report it to UP at the crossing. The Railroad has also been fighting a Bill that would make railroading safer, they don't want to spend the money for the improvements. Tisk Tisk. Everything isn't what it seems.
truck was there for 45 min from what I been hearing. Cops were there almost as long too. You think the local cops would know who to call if the truck company didn't know.
Unfortunately you're wrong as well. Super loads require physical survey to be performed prior to the permit being issued. Every state permit has a clause in the conditions that say the state and dot are not liable for errors, omissions, or incidents in any way. On any load, the be all end all is the truck driver.
@@AccountInactive Sorry, but I am not wrong. Super Load, Route Inspection or NOT, if he had the proper clearance as required on his permit, then it's the RailRoads fault for having an out of spec crossing, or perhaps whomever did the Route Inspection. We don't know if something mechanical broke to cause this to be hung up yet either. It's the Railroads fault anyway, because I am sure between the Escorts, Truck Driver, Trucking Company, and Local Police department, if it sat there for 45 mins, the Railroad had been notified. This happens all the time, everyone blames the Oversize for an accident, but often to the surprise of many uninformed observers it ends up faulting the Motorist or someone else besides the Truck/Trucking company, and many times, rightfully so. Everyone wants to blame the Truck Driver or the Escort, but it's highly unlikely that THIS accident is their fault. It may have even been a broken piece of equipment on the Truck or Trailer that caused this. I say my guess is Railroad will be found at fault, because no way it sat there for 45 mins without the RR being notified.
People need to pay for exactly what happened to those poor engineers just doing their job just because he’s irresponsible truckers can’t handle their jobs. They’re the ones that should pay. The full price from the guy detouring him over the railroad truck so the guy stuck on the railroad truck so the guys that pulled the permit and signed them all up all those guys should pay with prison time. This is irresponsible.
Frame of the trailer is below the front coupler so the loco probably ran up over it and the lead wheels came off the track. Those trailers are pretty sturdy.
The truck sat on the track for 45 minutes and nobody on scene called the number on the blue sign at the crossing - if they had this accident could have been prevented.
indeed
At least in my state there is a phone number posted at every crossing to call if there's an issue.
Federal training for all transport and escort companies and also law enforcement to check and recheck all routes, have the direct contact numbers to the railroads, have pilot vehicles with overhead and under clearance sensors,
These kind of wrecks have been going on for many decades and are soo preventable
Right law enforcement was on scene as well which they should have contacted the RR as well.
@Userqwerty349 The blue signs are U.S., and Canadian requirements.
RIP to the crew, condolences to the families of all involved.
the 2 workers didn't derserve any of this. lowbeds and train crossings just don't work. gov't needs to set regulations for safer crossings that are engineered to allow crossing of lowbeds without bottoming out.
So sad 😞
@@jarnailbrar6732I have actually seen signs POSTED by the RAILROADS stating, Trucks with low center of gravity, DO NOT CROSS TRACKS. USE NEXT CROSSING.
But sadly, those signs, many times GET IGNORED and the truck driver crosses anyway, with similar results of their truck getting STUCK on the tracks. You just can't fix stupid.
So sometimes(most often) there are ⚠️WARNING⚠️SIGNS⚠️ posted, so the government might have suggested these warnings, but when a driver FAILS TO HEED THESE WARNINGS, what can you do? Sometimes those crossings due to terrain can't be modified.
So sometimes it's just going to be a no win situation when drivers REFUSE TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS WHEN POSTED. Like stated, you just can't fix stupid.
Blame is on multiple people. The oversized load that got high centered on the tracks had to have a permit from the state which specifies a route for that load based on it's dimensions. Ultimately the driver (I am a driver of 31 years) should have questioned whether the crossing was safe for that load.
That truck driver deserves prison time for this
if it is a state permit issued route. the driver has NO responsibility there. as by law the state should be measuring ALL permit load routes, and takes all responsibility before issuing such permits.
When hauling an oversize load in Texas, the state will provide you with a proposed route through their permitting system, which you then need to review and potentially survey physically to confirm its suitability for your load; essentially, you plan the trip with the state's guidance on the best route for your oversized cargo based on your provided load details. So much for being a truck driver for 30 years as a qualification for who's right and who's wrong huh😂
The driver probably going to not be held liable.. pretty sure his eyesight was limited... the pickup truck on point may be held accountable..
I was a escort driver for years on these same exact pieces for windmills ! I agree with you ! Most times the route is driven pre trip by a operator to check the states route determined.
COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE.
In hindsight.
@@AlbertHess-xy7kyobviously not true !!
@@Lyndanet Who lacked the foresight?
@ Just in a state of shock
yeap, they supposed to get clearance from the railroad company before crossing and be on call before and after crossing, but someone didn't want to wait for the clearance which could take hours, because this track is very very busy, so they gamble and lost
Another reminder of just how dangerous railroading is as a vocation. I did not mis-speak, I retired as a Locomotive Engineer after 30 years of service and there for the presence of good luck could have been me. My utmost condolence to 2 BROTHER railroad men who gave their lives in the performance of their duty. To their families and friends-my utmost sympathy and respect.Godspeed.
It's a rough go at Christmas.
@@junicohen7918 You said it all. So bloody preventable! I have nothing to add,except thank you for your compassion.
Yup, I did 33 years on the RR as a locomotive engineer. Been retired 18 years. I remember hitting the trucks. I truly feel sorry for the families. God bless them in their trying times.
I acknowledge it’s unrealistic but I wish RR X-ings never existed anywhere on Earth .. a seemingly endless number of catastrophes just waiting to happen 😔
@@reynaldomartinez7076 Another Brother! Thank You! What is so terrible,even beyond the deaths of OUR Brother Engineer and Conductor,is the fact that Christmas is ruined for the survivors,probably forever. I hope that at least,there are no young children in those 2 families. Take Care.
Not one word mentioned about the massive incompetence of the trucking company that caused this horrendous and completely avoidable disaster!
The truck driver and his team need to be charged significantly here. This is raw negligence. They had plenty of time to notify rail company or police that they had an issue on the tracks. These are some bungling idiots at work here, they need to pay.
They'll be sued into the stone age for sure.
@@g.w.7893 Jail time would not be to much to ask due to the deaths and damage. There are Signs at EVERY crossing that you call the Instant you are stalled on the tracks and EVERYONE has phones now!!
Lots of truck driver haters here. Easy to do if youve never taken any risks in your life. Self righteous hypocrites.
@@dannyfierro3870 I "AM" a Truck driver, Class B concrete mix truck driver. and I know, and my company has rules that IF for some reason my truck stalls on tracks. I CALL THE NUMBER!!! IMMEDIATELY before ANYTHING ELSE!!!!
This sure seems to happen a lot--truck "stalled" on the tracks?? Idiot drivers! 🤪
These news agencies all need to do better in situations like this. End with how to save something like this from happening!! The truck was stuck there for AN HOUR!! ALL crossings have an emergency blue sign to call in case something happens at that crossing. It links with the railroad and they can stop all rail traffic approaching that crossing!!!
Correct. Also, as part of the permitting process they need to have an emergency phone number to call the railroad company for situations like this. As part of the permitting process they were given a time slot of the truck going to cross the tracks. Somebody said the truck was stuck for almost an hour so that time slot had already expired. So question remains did somebody call the RR to explain that the truck is stuck on the tracks. That's something the news journalist should have asked.
If it is true they were there for an entire hour without notifying the railroad, Should be Vehicular Manslaughter charges at minimum. That train crew did not have to die. That Trucking company and anyone attached to is are done for, the Railroad and those Families are going to own every asset they have.
I have called the number on those boxes before to report issues with crossings, and never waited on hold more then 5 minutes, this goes for BNSF, UP, and CPKC railroad crossings.
Someone fucked up BIG time here.
The be fair, the role of news media is to observe and report. Findings shouldn't be pinned on them. What if they are wrong? They could be sued. Leave that to others more qualified.
Just like every other time something tragic like this happens, the officials will say something like "We didn't connect the dots....and We will need hundreds of millions more in public funding to work on this issue"
@@TheUtuber999It's an observation that the blue sign should have been followed.
:45. Did she really say "killing two lives"?
Yes. It's Texas.
Riiight? 😂😂.
🤡reporting.
@@raygunsforronnie847 The LAUSD is one of the worst education districts in the entire country....but yeah, tExAs......1d1ot.
@@jc71480 Y'all racists need to go back to your whites-only caves.
They can't even pronounce the name of their town correctly!
It's PAY-COSE....
Pecos, like Pecos Bill.
I live in Pecos, New Mexico, I know what I am fuggin talking about!
😳
Stupidity continues to grow
God is in control
Probably a DACA or illegal indian. Tons of those stinky peeps come through our building everyday.
@@AnnaAnnieAnneofGreenGablesobviously not
@@michaelturano7522 you really didn't have to say that!! Some of us turn to a higher power in tragic times
@@FloridaZoe305Well yeah, you said “higher power” not the highest power….. so still failure.
My husband js a RR, seeing this just broke my heart 😢 i pray for my husband and other railroaders that they stay safe
Speak English
The CoC building looks like itself used to be a train station.
It’s a very pretty building. I looked it up, and it was built in 1881. It was the Texas and Pacific Railway Depot
@@kendrapratt2098 It can be restored. 98% is undamaged.
@kendrapratt2098 Granted we can't see how badly the side of the depot facing the tracks was damaged but if it was just the end I'd imagine the city would restore the damaged portion. Barring that, I could see the damaged area removed and the building repaired as a shorter structurė. (Which would just add to its history.)
This is ENTIRELY the trucking company’s fault. I speak for everyone when I say that. They should’ve called the emergency number that is placed on every crossing in the USA. They should’ve called that number to halt the trains in that area to PREVENT this very thing from happening. Union Pacific should file a lawsuit because I’ve heard that that truck was stuck for over an hour.
On the transponder box. A box at every crossing.
It’s also on the escort company. One must also consider why this load was permitted this route, as oversized loads will be given a route by the state.
If the truck was there for any length of time, "someone mentioned an hour"! Then surely police or someone of "authority" was there. Why the Hell did no one call the emergency notification nmbr at the crossing? Idiotic police work!!
Que !!!! No hablo engrish
@@rogermosberger6856 because everyone claiming that the truck was stuck for over an hour merely "heard it" from someone else, so there's no actual proof it was stuck that long.
Those lithium batteries being shipped in one of the derailed rail cars could be a major problem. Once damaged, they can ignite and explode very dangerously.
From a Railroad family, my great uncle Railroaded from the 1950's to my pops Railroading for 38 years and myself Railroading for 25 years.. This really hurts me, Rest in Peace my Railroad Brothers.. from the Santa Fe / BNSF family.. 😔🙏🏼
@@CZR1951 why dont they fix the crossings properly? I've rode Amtrak, the railbeds are so rough, I dont see how the train stays on the track. And speeding through populated areas? Jesus, these things are guided missiles.
@@KBS117 I'm pretty sure it's on the DOT to fix/flatten the approaches, as roads are generally granted easements over the tracks, not the other way around. The RR does have to remove/maintain the crossing panels occasionally to smooth out the tracks underneath (the rail shifts slightly over time as the panels/planks must be bolted to the ties for safety). In any case, the truck/pilot car drivers and cops are at fault here, as the trailer was reportedly hung up for 45 minutes and nobody thought to call the hotline, which is listed on every active crossing in North America along with it's identifier. Rail is safer than trucking and the majority of injuries and fatalities are from people illegally driving through crossings and trespasser strikes.
P.S.: Pull up the Google street view and you can see that basically the only thing within 75+ feet of the right of way in the whole town is that Chamber of Commerce building, which is a former RR station.
@@KBS117trains can go fast cause 99% of the time their is nothing stopping them, and anybody who gets in the way is plain stupid. Of course, there's that 1% like this truck driver/convoy.
Another video I saw on this accident showed a sheriff's deputy standing next to the track. He should have known to look at the blue sign at the crossing and to call the train company to warn about the situation.
The pilot car driver should have warned the truck driver about the steep approach to the crossing.
The truck driver should have had an assistant on the ground as he attempted to cross the track to warn him if the trailer was going to bottom out. Then he could have backed out of the situation.
Plenty of blame to go around.
This just isn't how it works. I work in this industry and know. The Pilot Car in front, probably did warn the Truck about the hump on the crossing, the truck driver probably did stop as soon as it hung up, and try to back up, (noone uses a spotter on foot for this, NOONE, and it wouldn't make any difference). Someone said allegedly a UP Dispatcher was notified about the Truck on the Crossing, and FORGOT about it. No warning = collision.
That’s not a pipe, it’s a distillation tower. Probably going to a chemical plant or a refinery. Extremely heavy
yep and $$$. Will take another 6 months to make another one/. What a mess.
@@Tom-f5q8e LOL a multi-million dollar 'pipe'....!!!!
Wind turbine
@@Rx-Needles Oil pipe, not windmills. Windmills are white in color.
Yes. I had assumed it was a wind blade . Maybe a pipe. Either way , we need to remember the U P crew . See Tracks. Think Train. That is a heavily used line
As a truck driver with 42+ sucessful years, what ever trailer you are pulling is your focus. A tall van trailer, you pay attention to your overhead clearance. A lowboy trailer you pay attention to your road clearance. Prrayers for ALL involved.
The thing that angers me is the guys in the train cab had nothing to do with this, could see it coming, and could do nothing to stop. They literally had to sit there and watch the disaster unfold until the moment of impact when they list their lives.
Worked for a railroad for 40+ years. Knew of many stories where crews either got killed or wound up with PTDS all because of people not obeying rules at grade crossings. The crews can only do so much to try to prevent these incidents. Too sad for all involved. My condolences to the friends and family of those killed. God bless.
Rest in peace to those that lost their lives. My heart goes out to their families 😢😢🙏🙏
Stop handing out CDL’s to just anyone and start penalizing trucking companies for this type of negligence. It’s that damn simple.
Every truck you see has a sign on back HIRING DRIVERS so any ole dummy will apply and probablyget hited. We see how bad they drive their cars, they'll be that much worse in a big truck but nobody cares, just get that freight moved and hopefully we won't kill too many people.
Criminal charges need to be filed. Completely avoidable. This is not fair to the Union Pacific employees who passed away.
Way way way too many semis get stuck on the tracks. Time to make the trucking industry accountable.
Time to fix the crossings!
Low boys and low bellies should be banned. If you cant build it on site then it shouldnt be built. Cop stopped me the other in front of an elementary school and asked me why I stopped so far back from the white line (there is a light there). I told him so I can see the babies clear the street. These were babies about five, six or seven years old. I cant see them over the hood.
@robertmason7553 lmao. I'm sure they will build an excavator piece by piece at every construction site. Watermain breaks? Going to be a while have to build heavy equipment first. Then I guess you just leave it there.
That is why when my ex-husband and I drove cross country in big rigs we drove cabovers, and I actually prefer them.
Cheaper to level the crossings in occupied areas with traffic but the railroads spend more money to fight doing it than doing it
If someone would have called the number on the blue sign, this would have never have happened. Yet, no one talks about it. Dumbfounding!
They were probably trying to cover their own as$ by not calling because, it could get reported to the trucking company's insurance company. So, they gambled & lost..That's just my guess, but, many catastrophes start off like that.
@@borisblvd5354 I drove 10 years and most drivers knew nothing about it.
@@pizzamademedoit that seems ridiculous, as I don't drive commercially, and I knew about it ? Are folks really not that observant ?
@@Chris_Wolfgram Yes. Just ask people you work with, family or friends and you'll find out how many people don't know.
@@Chris_Wolfgram I drove for 10 years and most CDL drivers do not know this and is not taught in trucking schools. When I try to mention it, no response from instructors.
Why wasn't a warning given to the oncoming freight train?? Why was that semi allowed to remain on the tracks??? Who failed to do their jobs at cost of people's lives!!!
Because the truck didn't call the number to notify the railway about being stuck on the track
@@DraggonCanoe How do you know that?
@@ETScott2012 correct - there is a blue sign with a number at each crossing.
@@maremma14 Maybe because all the EVIDENCE points to that fact.
@@DraggonCanoe You are still explaining nothing. What is your evidence, and how does it point to a terrorist act planned by the truck driver, to the exclusion of other possibilities?
WHY didn't this obviously horrible truck driver sit on the tracks for an hour without contacting SOMEBODY in charge. I'd check on his papers.
Cause far too many truck drivers are beyond ignorant and have no common sense.
@@thud9797 Some are illegals.
He did sit on the tracks. And HE WAS in charge of that load, but that doesn't explain anything here. Why are people saying nobody contacted the railroad ??
The trailer was hung up, it was impossible to move at this point do you understand that ?
@@elmerhuyard3565I always had a scanning radio when I was trackside with active RR Frequencies programmed into it.
If I saw an issue or problem, I called the railroad 800 number on the sign so they could warn an approaching train of an issue on or near the tracks or crossing.
If I didn't hear Dispatch talking to the train crew within 1-2 minutes of my call to them, I would call back and say I just called you about an issue/problem, yet I have heard NO COMMUNICATION with the train crew, and report the issue a 2nd time, although it WAS VERY RARE that I ever had to call back a 2nd time, as I usually heard dispatch tell the train crew they needed to stop their train immediately due to problems a few miles up or down the rail line. I also called the local law enforcement folks to let them know of the issue/problem, and the FIRST THING the Emergency Dispatcher asked me "Has the railroad been notified", I always said yes, but even so, Emergency Dispatch also called the Railroad to be sure they were aware.
From what happened here, it seems no such calls or protocols were put in place.
And sadly 2 railroad workers died due to FULL ON NEGLIGENCE of the trucking crew AND the local law enforcement.
I put the blame on everyone here, except the railroad, because it sure appears no one contacted UP about the issue, there WAS MORE THAN AMPLE TIME TO DO SO, and PREVENT THESE DEATHS!
Will be anxiously waiting for what the NTSB, UP, and the FRA tell us what REALLY happened here.
My condolences to the families, I feel deeply saddened for them . This brings up a lot of feelings as I lost my husband in 1995 to a train wreck due to a rock slide the train landed at the bottom of Kootenay lake in BC , Canada , my husband was the engineer, a break man had also died. I’m praying for these families 😢🙏🏻❤️
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😢😢😢😢
The blue sign is there for a multitude of reasons!!!!
Absolutely no excuse for no one to completely neglect calling the number on the sign and let UP dispatch know what was going on.
The truck was there for 45 minutes and UP had no idea?!?!? Complete neglect and absolute stupidity on everyone who was at that crossing worrying more about getting viral video than stopping train traffic.
How do we know if the RR was contacted? If they were notified and didn't shut down the train, then they would be responsible as well. It's too early to lay any blame.
Certainly the truckers fault, but there are multiple people including at least 2 police officers who could have called the number.
Every person that stood there qawking and not calling the number that is posted at ALL CROSSINGS IS TO BLAME FOR THOSE MENS DEATH.
I'm willing to bet someone did. Communication incompetence is rampant nowadays. People sitting behind desks are the worst
@@elmerhuyard3565 🎯
Truck was there only ~10 minutes, one-hour talk is pure fantasy from a YT comment section, and they did call the number.
@peeterl.2016 Yes, why are people so emotional about all things involving trucks ?
Who's to blame? The ones that failed to call the UP dispatch number on the blue tag with the crossing number on it to tell them the crossing was blocked. Every crossing has this tag. I've heard the crossing was blocked for at least 45 minutes. 2 families are forever impacted by this needless tragedy! Please explain how local officials on scene didn't know to do this!
Everybody thinks that a train can stop on a dime. WRONG! It takes a mile long train traveling at the speed limit almost another mile or more to stop unless it derails like in this instance. Every Police or Sheriff's department should know what to do when a crossing is blocked. All the safety campaigns about safety at railroad crossings are worthless if nobody (Especially law enforcement) pays any attention. A oversized load requires USDOT/TDOT permitting to travel highways and to cross rail lines. Sounds like the truck company messed up by not notifying UP that this vehicle /oversized load would be in the area so that they could have their own people there to spot the truck at the crossing to ensure safe passage and stop rail traffic if they could see a problem. I guarantee the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate this thoroughly and, in the end, will determine that the Trucking did not do its due diligence in ensuring that all parties were notified and the trailer holding the load would have enough clearance between the bottom of the trailer and the top of the rails at any point to actually make the needed transit. That is why there are rules to govern this type of movement. And obviously they were not followed and two men died. What a giant CLUSTER.
What if they did call and Union Pacific Dispatch forgot about it and didn't send the warning? Union Pacific after all, has been vehemently fighting a recent Railroad Safety Bill trying to be passed in Legislature, claiming that the requirements are "excessive and overburdening on the Railroad Company".
THEY DID CALL. Dispatcher forgot to contact the train.
@@peeterl.2016 Then someone at UP should be in jail!!!
Trains don't run into trucks
Trucks or vehicles run into trains
100 percent facts..
The truck was stuck there for an hour and never called the emergency number posted at the crossing. The train definitely hit him in this case.
Agreed. The train derailed... The train hit... Makes it seem like this was the railroad's fault when it wasn't. Though in honesty the moving train did hit a stationary truck.
well yeah it DID run into the lowboy trailer that had a huge piece of equipment on it and that huge pipe took out the Chamber of Commerce building in Pecos. Try watching the videos that show what happned on UA-cam instead of local tv stations.
Hmmm I kinda agree now ! Tho ever hear of calling 911 ?
RIP to the train conductor and the locomotive engineer, condolences to their families and friends, and lawsuits to all people who let it happen through their negligence and their employers.
It may be the victims employers. We don't know for sure yet. Everyone is blaming the Truck, but something seems off about that, considering it was sitting there for 45 mins and Law Enforcement was on scene, etc.
This is gross negligence on the part of the trucking company and the pilot car company!! Totally avoidable!!
The escort has the responsibility to ensure the route is suitable for the vehicle and the size and weight of the load,the truck driver should have been well aware of the limitations of his rig as well,combined with the communication breakdown,incredible incompetence on a grand scale. Some individuals will be getting reamed over this.
Was there even a pilot car?
When a truck is moving a large load such as this, they should be on the phone with the railroad. They would know the time frame when a train is due, and if anything goes wrong, the railroad would have plenty of time to stop the train. These guidelines were not followed, and people died. Someone will go to prison.
AHEM the driver and the company employees involved,
And of course you know these guidelines weren't followed
@rona4960 back in the day I was involved in Super Loads. DOT and highway patrol in attendance. Nothing moved until the ducks were lined up. Railroad tracks a half a block from the starting point.
If the state/ local authorities gave that route, they should be to blame. Also the truck was stuck for an hour, which was more than enough time for the train to stop
Lot of times train companies dont disclose when they are gonna be going through an area even with the call. Then anyone could call and get that info and do whatever they want with it i.e. derail the train
RIP to 2 rails. Hope the families get what they can from the negligent trucking company, authorities and even the RR (UPRR isn’t exactly kind to their employees). As a former Locomotive Engineer this is sickening. Thoughts and prayers to the families of the 2 rails.
Do you think Warren will extend his condolences to the families?
@ no since Buffet owns BNSF and this was a UP train.
@@ericgruber_guitarded OK, I thought he owned all of the major railroads.
@ all good. Wouldn’t surprise me if he, or Berkshire, end up owning a majority or at least are major shareholders. It’s pretty crazy.
@ the really sad part is I’m sure UPRR claims agents already are trying to settle with the families and/or get them to sign papers releasing them of liability. The whole thing is just sad.
0:48 We understand that Lily was excited to cover this news, but she and Joe Keese look happy relating the story. Wow!
Reminds me of the Don Henley song Dirty Laundry
That trucking company is full responsibility for it’s actions and is liable for those lost lives and damage
No it's not. This attitude is ridiculous. Allegedly, a Dispatcher at Union Pacific was Notifed, but FORGOT about it, and did not dispatch the obstruction.
That trucking company is done. Praying for all.
praying does nothing
Likely escort company, as well.
@@kotexconnection3804lol, these people can't usually spell and lack logic. The rr company is to also blame, same with the state that gave the route/permit, if the truck was stuck for an hour. They must've been contacted the rr company
@@F82_ where is your proof that someone contacted the RR company? RR crossings have an emergency number posted on a sign for you to call in the event you're stuck on the tracks. How do you know the truck was stuck for an hour? It's not the RR company's fault that some dingus was high-centered on their tracks.
The RR doesn’t know about the dang truck unless you call it in. They had an hour but didn’t call it in. So a train hits it. The railroad is not at fault one bit.
This train derailment and subsequent deaths are tragic but where did this girl learn to speak? "feet away from the epicenter where tragedy... killing two lives." She didn't get much public speaking in school. I hope the news station will put her through some training instead of just spitting out gibberish in front of a camera.
she got her "journalism degree" from Tik Tok....or maybe she just slid into the job because she was such a popular "influencer"
Maybe she was simply reading off a teleprompter?
They seem to have been taught priority is on superlstives, exaggerration, and splitting infinitives. Been that way for years.
All that proves is that she was educated in the United States where competency is not required for advancement.
@@t.n.-js6ei DEI is all over the Western world
How sad rip, conductor/engineer. 🙏🙏😭
Almost 30 year Railroader here. If you have a stuck vehicle on the track, please call 911 or the hotline number on the silver box next to the road crossing...it would have saved the lives of my fellow Railroaders. I pray for the families of the lost 🙏.
What if they did call?
@xxcrazy_critr6661 The railroad could call the train and stop it before it got to that road crossing and that crew would still be alive.
Two families are about to get paid but im sure they give it all back just to have one more day with their loved ones.
How do so many trucks get caught on tracks like this, why isn’t someone out spotting the truck as it cross’s the track. How dumb are these people! Seriously.
Look on Google StreetView. There is evidence of several previous truck strikes on the pavement of the crossing.
Imagine if this train had been hauling oil or something toxic!
Pipe? That is a 100 ton refinery vessel.
Lots claimed it to be a Wind Turbine Tower Base, but yeah, working in this Industry, that looks like a Distillation Column to me, for a Refinery.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661 It was a windmill blade.
@@peeterl.2016nope. It was a refinery vessel. News reported it wrong. I saw it being hauled back through odessa. What was left of it anyway
"the grace of god we're still here" oh FFS
Go say that at the funeral of the people who died
they don't understand, they're alive because the building was made of brick
My thoughts exactly. People say that stuff without thinking.
The town where this happened, was the same town where my dad & his sisters went to school. The stretch of highway (HIghway 285) that these same stretch of tracks are on, you keep going 6 miles north. There's a curve. You look to your left, you see a stucco house, or what's left of it. That's where my dad, his sisters grew up & lived w/my grandparents. I don't envy the police officers, state troopers, who had to work this accident. I also don't envy the officer, or officers, who had to inform the people that their husband, father, brother, son, etc wasn't coming home. Tragic. Hopefully, there will be some SERIOUS consequences from this. Maybe this will be a learning experience. People just don't have any common sense, or don't know how to use it. And right before Christmas. Condolences to the families of these victims. Prayers, as well.
RIP to the victims 😢
well somebody really screwed this up... where is the NTSB
Six NTSB investigators have been sent.
They showed up just because you asked
@rona4960 😎😊
where's "Mayor Pete"?
I think it's an open shut case you don't need the ntsb.
Something very similar happened in Australia in January. I refuse to believe these accidents aren’t 100% avoidable after the truck gets snagged!
Yep, some claims are that the Dispatcher at Union Pacific forgot about the call, and therefore the Engineers did not know there was an obstruction. Sometimes this stuff happens really fast, with a Train that is out of site, at the moment, but near. When it happens 45 minutes to an hour after the Truck gets stuck, in a town, with law enforcement on scene, that leaves me only to be able to believe that the fault is not that noone called, it's that the message about the obstruction was never delivered to the Train Engineer.
Something else that leads me to believe that, is it was in the News a couple Months ago about Union Pacific fighting a Railroad Safety Bill in Legislature, contending that it's excessive and too burdensome on the Railroad Company. But everyone wants to blame the Truck Driver. I work in this business, and my ex-father in law was a life long Railroad man. The Railroad thinks it's invincible, and should not be held accountable.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661 so let’s say the truck gets snagged and the train is already close, that is going to be a difficult situation to avoid a collision. But if the truck gets snagged and there is sufficient time for the train to slow why can’t they have an emergency response kit at the crossing? For example, a flare gun and a cb radio already tuned to trains that are in the vicinity? It seems so easy to solve.
@@JohnSmith-vu6zd They already have all the equipment necessary to stop a train at every crossing in the United States and Canada. It's a blue and white sign either on the crossing gates or on a square building within a few hundred feet of the crossing. There's a 1-800 number that you can call, which puts you in touch with the railroad dispatch, along with a crossing number; which tells the dispatch exactly where you're calling them from.
The problem is most people don't even know that these signs exist, and I'm not sure whether it's talked about in driver's ed, or even in talks about railroad safety.
@ well if that’s the case it’s obviously time for a publicity campaign, and they need a system like that here in Australia, because we have nothing here.
Gee, maybe the people hauling the huge pipe could have taken measurements of that RR crossing and determined the problem with the semi trailer ahead of time, then two Union Pacific Railroad employees could still be alive with us.
If they would had simply called the railroad to tell them that they were going to cross that track at that time, they could had told the crew to slow down and check that crossing.
@@jacobew2000 What if they did call? We don't know yet who's fault it is. Assuming it's the Truck's fault, is ridiculous.
The train( UP ZAILA-18)was moving about 60 miles an hour when it collided with a semi truck that had been installed there for about 45-ish minutes
Plenty of time to call the number on the blue sign or 911 to connect with emergency services. Inexcusable.
@ this is true
@@g.w.7893 The cops were already there. Also, from first hand experience, 911 is useless for RR problems. By the time they figure out who to call it's too late. No idea why Emergency numbers for RR's aren't available to 911 Dispatchers.
Where are they getting these truck drivers from!? 🤬
Mexico. Probably an illegal alien.
Most of them can’t speak English
Let's see....., it's a border state, to the Southwest.......
@@stephenvanwoert2447 Texas?
they must have hired drivers that just jump the border walls.
How long was the truck on the tracks before it was hit? That's an important piece of information. Need to train folks that as soon as they are stuck, go to the blue sign that is by every crossing and call the number on it. Goes straight to the railroad dispatchers who can warn the train the quickest.
45 min to an hour. Cops were there almost as long. I blame the cops even more than the truck driver - all are at fault though.
@@MCO2ATL2DTWby777 45 minutes!!!!!
Unreal
How do we know it wasn't called in just because it was stuck 45 minutes.
@@elmerhuyard3565 Because if it had been called in (to UP) the train would have been stopped... And if it was called in to the city and they didn't notify the railroad then someone dropped the ball big time.. Anytime a railroad crossing is involved the RR should be the called immediately.
So highly skilled worker all around. Not... Incredible
Those loads are permitted loades. They have to be authorized by someone.
But permits are for the load weight. They aren't given with any route given. These solar stuff needs a certain route only law.
@334honda they installed windmills all around where I used to live and they had to travel on a permitted route. If they had to change they had to get cleared to go of of the route. Just what I've been told.
Worked at a company that built a 180 spreader bar going from Illinois to Canada. They had to had a designated route and they would have to stop until they could get cleared to use that route. They can't just drive anywhere. Still require a state permit for weight and route for every state passing through.
@@334honda This was not a solar, nor windmill part. This was for a oil extraction part. I see windmills shipped every day, and this is not one of them. The issue here is that they simply did not call the railroad ahead of time to let them know that they were going to cross the track at that time. That would had given the railroad time to stop or slow trains at that crossing to verify it was clear. I have been a railroad engineer for nearly 20 years, not with UP.
@@334hondaplease don't comment because you are clearly not in heavy haul, escorting, or any remotely related industry.
Each state issues a permit for weight and ALL dimensions and issues a route that will accommodate the load based on those dimensions.
This is called a super load, and it requires a physical survey to be performed before the route is approved because this load is beyond standard permit limits.
@@334honda SO wrong! The route is permitted to the T.
What a stupid accident. This was an insane lack of competence of all involved parties.
This was the product of "teamwork".
Actually, the LACK of teamwork...
Have they said the names of the two uprr workers that were killed? My son and daughters dad works for uprr. Prayers to all involved.
This truck driver knew the route in advance as they would have needed to get permits and so forth as you can see they had a police escort as well so they all knew the route well in advance as they don't just spring this stuff on you first thing in the morning and just a simple google maps and double checking any place they saw RR tracks with a street view would have shown the height difference and the driver could have questions things before even moving the load the next day.. Totally preventable ...
Good luck judging hump size from Google maps. Easy to tell you're clueless about heavy haul and escorting.
Take a look on Google StreetView and you can see gouge marks in the crossing pavement from previous truck strikes. That should be clue number one. The trailer they had was equipped with multiple axles and raising equipment so no idea why it got stuck, especially for such an extended period of time.
Unless they said, "Keep your mouth shut and do what you're told."
This is hwy 285, serving the west Texas oilfeilds. It's called the 'death highway' there were 93 deaths in 2017 for just a150 mile stretch of this highway. It's so heavily used by oilfield equipment trucks, that there is broken off truck tire tread every foot on the side of the road
theres gunna be some big law suits here
Truck was stuck on the track for an hour with no notice given to the railroad.
I sure hope Pecos presses charges against everyone involved with the trucking company that caused this unnecessary loss of life.
They are supposed to be professionals and they did everything possible to prove otherwise!
That includes the police, if they were on the scene in time to act.
@
One of the videos shows a police presence just before the collision.
Also, Pecos is a very small town, nearly everyone of importance was aware of this situation.
The Truck driver should be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of the 2 train employees, yes I know there were many more involved with moving a big load like this over the road but as all truck drivers know, The driver has the final say regarding safety when on public roads and how did the driver let this happen is beyond me..
you should calm your tits
Oh sure blame a low tier wage earner for everything under the sun. The driver likely had no idea that he could get stuck on the tracks.
@@muffs55mercury61 Ultimately it's his decision to cross a grade like that and those that move those sort of loads are very experienced. He may have been following the designated route laid out but he will be held accountable for what happened. Sadly, his life as he knew it is over, those that chose that as a route will throw him under the train.
What about all the cops who were on scene? They are emergency workers, don’t they know what to do in such an emergency?
@@muffs55mercury61Because that driver was a complete dumbass or an illegal alien hired by the company. Either way, he's going to prison a long time.
My condolences to family and friends!!!
If it’s true the truck was on the tracks, stuck for an hour , that’s criminal and disgustingly tragic. Once stuck the calls to the railroad to stop any trains is 100% paramount. If the truck is able to proceed or even back up off the tracks that’s great the stop the train demand can be reversed and no harm done.
Side note…
I’ve been in Alpine Texas near the college and Main Street while driving coast to coast freight many times. The speed of that train scared the hell outta me going through a residential/business and school area. It was smoking fast! I assume that Pecos train was probably the same.
When there are high quality escort truck services like the video shows were on scene (supposedly) this isn’t supposed to be possible.
Although it is videotaped that the pilot truck still didn’t know what to do even after impact it must be determined what that driver was doing to rectify the situation. Their phone should have been seized and they needed to be drug tested along with the semi driver same thing.
Truckers that get these hauls are no slouches, somebody else caused this driver to get hung up somehow. I hate that his career is over and that truck will no longer haul sweet loads, at least by him (or her) video looked like a dude so….
The NTSB will look at all of that and will look under every rock until they determine the cause and write their report to the USDOT and the FRA.
“Debris” is quite a euphemism to describe 40 ft intermodal containers… especially when they are on top of you…
All oversized loads having to cross railroad tracks,
Railroad personal should be present at all crossing,
To prevent this from happening!
If they would had just called the railroad.. they would had put a road crossing warning to the train crew to slow down and check that crossing and "be prepared to stop".
@@jacobew2000 EXACTLY... ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE., or at least it shouldn't be...
I'm so sad to hear that those two were killed. When I seen the engine go off the tracks I knew they were going to die. That is so much weight out of control. My condolences😔
One thing that I have noticed over the years. When the RR companies replace the tracks where the road crosses, they raise them higher each time. The track below the house elevation has been raised by 3 feet in the past seven years. But they only put enough ramp over the tracks. I know railroads have they right away but also bear some responsibility when they do that too. I think there should be some kind of coordination between the RR and local governments to ensure the road raise also.
Sure, but a truck driver should know that some trailers can be high-centered on a railroad crossing, and should stop and check the clearance before attempting a crossing which is not flat.
@@GH-oi2jfI agree, but could have been changed since the last time he came thru? Looked like he was carrying a wind turbine base, so might be a wind farm near by. Also didn’t see a low clearance sign on news clips or on google maps.
And they go 70 mph through town...
So getting stuck on the tracks is the trains fault because it travels fast? Give your head a shake.
100% the moving companies job to ensure the route is safe and correct.
May the families of those who lost their lives, find solace during this difficult time.
What a lousy Christmas
So, why was the truck stopped on the tracks? And, had the PD called it in to the railroad to shut down the tracks?
Incompetence
The driver had a low boy flat bed hauling an over sized load. His trailer was so low to the ground that he “highpointed” on the tracks and got stuck.
@@AbelG8781 Most probably the trailer dollies (landing gear) got stuck on the tracks or payment; once this happen is very difficult to disengage. As a former truck driver, anytime I was crossing train tracks I make sure my dollies (landing gear) were on the most upper position and if there was a hump on the tracks, I would drive very slow to make sure that if they touch ground, I back up.
@@AbelG8781 Well, obviously mistakes were made. The question is whose were the cause(s).
The truck was routed over that crossing. It looked like it was stuck. So, the people who routed it are in the mix.
Then, it was an oversize load. Presumably, permitted. So, the permitting authority is in the mix.
Then, the driver and escorts tried to cross, even though it looked like the road had a crown at the crossing. So, they are in the mix.
Then, once the truck was stuck, the PD had a duty to call in the blocked tracks. as did the driver, dispatcher and escorts. So, more in the mix.
Finally, if it was called in, was the train dispatcher informed? So that the train traffic could be stopped. And if the dispatcher knew, was it passed along to the crew. And if the crew knew, did they get enough warning to stop? Even more people in the mix.
And, was this crossing one that had a history of groundings? If so, that adds even more folks to the blame game that's about to start.
@@realmassconsumption Yeah. But, that does not say who screwed the pooch.
An oversize load is permitted and has an assigned route. That they cannot deviate from. So, who ran the route first and determined that it was safe?
Freight train crews almost always make it out alive in accidents like these, truly shocking and tragic. From what I can piece together from the footage and aftermath photos, the leading locomotive tipped over after derailing, which was then hit by the derailing rolling stock trailing behind it. In essence they were run over by their own train, which caused the fatalities. Very very sad
What idiot in a truck sits on a train track for 45 minutes and nobody notices or railway wasn’t informed, inquiring minds would like to know ? 💯🤔🤷🏾♂️🤨 SMH
No speaka Eengleesh.
I guess noone ever thinks that the Railroad Dispatch could have caused this, by not sending notification to the train? We will find out won't we? Why does everyone always assume it's the Trucker's fault? People just have something against Truckers. I get it, there's a lot of them that shouldn't be driving, period, but that's not the Majority, and certainly not common in the Heavy Haul business. And the way it actually works, is no matter what the Escort says to the Trucker, the Trucker makes the final call, and often that is to ignore the Escorts concerns, because Escorts aren't always "ex" truck drivers, and may not know what they are talking about, which is also true a lot of the time.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661If it IS the dispatchers fault--- I sure WOULD NOT want to be them.
Prayers for the crew on the train 😓🙏. And their families
Multi million dollar disaster and deaths caused by act of incompetence, and the truck driver decides to move his truck away from scene of accident, guy should be behind bars.
100% true there
What if the Union Pacific Dispatcher didn't send out the call? Why does everyone assume that communication wasn't broken and potentially the cause of this collision? Of course everyone will come here, and comment, react out of ignorance before the Investigation is completed, and then likely never hear about this again, and next time they see an accident like this they will just blame the Trucker again. So sad.
@ Not necessarily the truckers fault but the entire company is at fault here but at no point should the driver decide to move his truck. These disasters only happen in the US. Go any where else and you need permits and a road plan before moving any abnormal loads. Australia/Europe etc have air- hydraulic operated trailers that can be raised to avoid simple problems like this. Sometimes getting the correct gear and knowledge will save you millions in disaster.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661Real simple---IF the UP dispatcher did NOT warn the train-- they will be sued, by UP. Railroads do not need this type of distraction. Let the law figure it out.
Never know when your last day on earth is. That is why it is important to love your family everyday
it's so nice to hear that Joe Keese Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce was so concerned about himself, "By the grace of God I am still here" and "I thought I was going to die" when 2 workers from the Railroad company DID DIE, and their families will have Christmas without their loved ones. You really should be ashamed of yourself!
The truck driver should been charged with murder stuck on the tracks for hour not calling the railroad on the infomation blue dot tag number. This would’ve been prevented
So the truck driver needs to spend the rest of his life in prison. What goes through these morons minds?
With all our technology a train can’t be automatically put in emergency or stopped if a crossing is fouled? NOT THE TRAINS FAULT OR IT’S CREW!!! How many must die or be injured before our 21st century technology helps here. Little blue signs are great but technology can do more. On a side note I will say most professional drivers ARE AGED PROFESSIONALS but there are a lot of new drivers that are not and think they are in their family car. I know too Murphy is always waiting and 💩 happens.
Some day AI will make that possible but right now, no...
From what I understand the truck was stuck for 45 minutes and nobody thought to call the RR company and alert them??!!
The truck driver needs a lot of prison time if he could have prevented this tragedy.
What if the Dispatcher from Union Pacific didn't send out the message? Does he deserve Prison? I'd hope you treat all equally with the Prison time sentencing.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661 I said "if he could have prevented this tragedy." Reading is fundamental.
@@xxcrazy_critr6661Yes, he does!!!
Praying for the family members of the two who past away 🙏 ☝️😞
Sue the trucking company and put them out of business
What if it was the Union Pacific Dispatcher's fault for not sending out the message? You think noone on scene called the number to report it in 45 mins to an hour before the collision? Law Enforcement protocol is to call the Railroad Immediately, and they were on scene.
@xxcrazy_critr6661 you are funny. The truck driver has 2 people to spot him to look for low bridges to look for things unusual and let him know before they get in a situation. It is all three of their faults
@@xxcrazy_critr6661Then, UP will sue -- and possibly charge the dispatcher. This is a MAJOR screw up--- the right person who dropped the ball will take the hit.
I seen another video of the train hitting the truck. That train was moving about 70 to 80 mph it seemed. The whole front of the train was lifted up off the tracks.
The max speed for freight engines is 70 mph so it’s quite possible
The lead locomotive likely ran over the lowboy trailer during impact and it jumped the tracks.
Yeah saw the video too, it was flying.
Ok, so ‘By the grace of god’ that guy is alive but is it by the same ‘grace’ that the others lost their lives? Doesn’t everything happen according to god’s plan? Sorry, you can’t have it both ways…either god saved you and killed them or neither…and if it killed the others, what kind of god is that?!
Protestant logic
Don't forget, you can always blame Satan for anything that would make God look bad.
Where is the video from the building?
If you are going to credit God for intervening and saving your life you must also credit him with intentionally killing two people.
That's logical, but people don't think that deeply. They speak with cliche's and confuse cliche's with actual thought.
It's a one way street with religion. Thank god for the good thing but a million people could have died and not one word is said about it.
What he meant was, Better them than me.
PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN THE ACCIDENT
another PROFESSIONAL driver strikes again! could he speak read or write englitch?
Probably, can YOU speak French?
This is an absolute travesty! And then to see that driver just drive off the tracks🤬
How far to the border?
I thought the same thing, like, really , it's not like you're in the way anymore idiot . Why would that be your first move after watching that horror unfold.
Almost everyone commenting here is wrong. If the Truck was on the State Approved Permitted route, and had sufficient ground clearance on his trailer according to the Permit, and he got stuck on the track, the only way the Trucking Company is liable is perhaps if they were sitting there for an hour without calling the number to report it to UP at the crossing. The Railroad has also been fighting a Bill that would make railroading safer, they don't want to spend the money for the improvements. Tisk Tisk. Everything isn't what it seems.
bingo
True but they always like to make drivers the scapegoats in matters like this.
truck was there for 45 min from what I been hearing. Cops were there almost as long too. You think the local cops would know who to call if the truck company didn't know.
Unfortunately you're wrong as well. Super loads require physical survey to be performed prior to the permit being issued. Every state permit has a clause in the conditions that say the state and dot are not liable for errors, omissions, or incidents in any way. On any load, the be all end all is the truck driver.
@@AccountInactive Sorry, but I am not wrong. Super Load, Route Inspection or NOT, if he had the proper clearance as required on his permit, then it's the RailRoads fault for having an out of spec crossing, or perhaps whomever did the Route Inspection. We don't know if something mechanical broke to cause this to be hung up yet either. It's the Railroads fault anyway, because I am sure between the Escorts, Truck Driver, Trucking Company, and Local Police department, if it sat there for 45 mins, the Railroad had been notified. This happens all the time, everyone blames the Oversize for an accident, but often to the surprise of many uninformed observers it ends up faulting the Motorist or someone else besides the Truck/Trucking company, and many times, rightfully so. Everyone wants to blame the Truck Driver or the Escort, but it's highly unlikely that THIS accident is their fault. It may have even been a broken piece of equipment on the Truck or Trailer that caused this. I say my guess is Railroad will be found at fault, because no way it sat there for 45 mins without the RR being notified.
My condolences 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 to all family members and loved ones of the victims.
Those batteries should be outlawed. I think as humans we can do better that what we are doing. So many bad choices moving forward.
GOD BLESS the FAMILIES of those Lost or Injured 🙏🏽😇❤️🇺🇸
Thank you, Crystal. You’re still doing a great job covering my hometown.👏
Isaiah Marquez
Former Photog
People need to pay for exactly what happened to those poor engineers just doing their job just because he’s irresponsible truckers can’t handle their jobs. They’re the ones that should pay. The full price from the guy detouring him over the railroad truck so the guy stuck on the railroad truck so the guys that pulled the permit and signed them all up all those guys should pay with prison time. This is irresponsible.
A diminished I.Q. and a truck license is a deadly combination. Hope they close that trucking company down with law suits.
Union Pacific should sue because of the stupidity that is the trucking companies.
Locos weigh 425,000lbs how much that distillation tower weighs to make the loco jump that high???
Frame of the trailer is below the front coupler so the loco probably ran up over it and the lead wheels came off the track. Those trailers are pretty sturdy.