SALON

Sunday, Jun 26, 2011 4:13 PM UTC

Officials confirm 6 dead in Nevada Amtrak crash

Half-dozen killed, 28 more missing after semi-truck collides with passenger train

By

Topics: Travel,

Officials confirm 6 dead in Nevada Amtrak crashFirefighters put water on the wreckage of an Amtrak passenger car Friday June 24, 2011 near US 95 north of Fallon, Nev. The west-bound train was struck by a semi-truck and burst into flames. The driver and a passenger of the truck were killed. Injured train passengers were taken to local hospitals but officials must let the wreck cool off before they continue their search. (AP Photo/Liz Margerum - reno Gazette Journal)(Credit: AP)

A truck driver tried to stop his big rig before it slammed into the side of an Amtrak passenger car in the Nevada desert, killing him and at least five other people on the train and injuring about 20 others in the fiery crash, authorities said Saturday.

The Churchill County Sheriff’s office said in a release late Saturday that officials were working to confirm the victim’s identities and notify family members. Meanwhile, United Transportation Union said on its website that conductor Laurette Lee, 68, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., was one of the victims.

More than two dozen other people were still unaccounted for, but Earl Weener of the National Transportation Safety Board called the figure “spongy” because some passengers may have gotten off the train before the crash or walked away from the scene without checking in with officials.

“This is not quite like you are used to when you get on an airplane. They record exactly who gets on, and what seat they sit in,” he said. “On a train you can get off without necessarily being tracked.”

He said he expected the number to decrease as the investigation continued.

Amtrak’s California Zephyr was en route from Chicago to Emeryville, Calif., with some 200 passengers and 14 crew members when the accident happened late Friday morning about 300 miles east of its destination.

The semitrailer, which the NTSB said was owned by John Davis Trucking in Battle Mountain, plowed into the train about 70 miles east of Reno, sparking a fire that gutted two Amtrak cars and caused damages that hampered investigation efforts into Saturday, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez said.

NTSB spokeswoman Vernae Graham told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the train’s second car, which is a dorm car for employees, and the third car, which was the first coach, had burst into flames.

“The fire weakened the structure of the cars and they could collapse,” Lopez told The Associated Press earlier Saturday. “The safety of workers is a big thing, and we don’t want to put someone else in an unsafe situation.”

Lopez also said investigators at the scene about 70 miles east of Reno found skid marks at the railroad crossing on U.S. 95, indicating the driver tried to stop his semitrailer before Friday’s crash,

About 20 people were injured and able to escape.

Sixteen National Transportation Safety Board investigators took over at the scene Saturday and are expected to take up to a year to pinpoint the cause of the crash.

Lopez said the investigation would focus on the truck driver, whose rig crashed through a crossing gate before plowing into the Amtrak car. A witness told authorities that the crossing gates and warning signals were working at the time.

“That’s what everybody wants to know. Why did the truck collide with the train?” Lopez said. “Unfortunately, since he was pronounced dead, he’s the only one who can tell us that prior to the investigation.”

Following medical evaluations or treatment, most passengers continued their travel west on chartered buses or chose to make their own arrangements, Amtrak said in a news release.

Eugene Rheault of Manchester, N.H., was on a trip from Yellowstone National Park to San Francisco when the accident occurred.

“My wife and I were playing cards in the observation deck when there was a big bang and an explosion and an unbelievable amount of fire went by the window,” Rheault told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “It scared the living daylights out of me.”

Alex Graham, 18, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was reading a book while on a trip to the West Coast with his mother when the Amtrak was hit.

“And then a wall of fire went by the window,” he said. “I could feel the heat instantly.”

Passengers have provided conflicting accounts of which car was hit, ranging from the second to fourth car.

The collision was on a portion of tracks that cross U.S. 95 about three miles south of Interstate 80.

The driver was the only occupant of the semi, which was hauling two empty gravel trailers.

Scott Sonner

More Scott Sonner.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 13 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations