PECOS, Texas — The truck struck by a Union Pacific train in a fatal grade-crossing collision and derailment was on the grade crossing for just over 1 minute before the collision occurred, the National Transportation Safety Board said today (Dec. 22).
In an update on its investigation into the Dec. 18 accident that killed two UP crew members, the agency said investigators determined the timing based on surveillance videos.
The accident occurred about 5 p.m. Wednesday in downtown Pecos, with the collision derailing four locomotives and 25 intermodal well units, and sending the truck’s load into a nearby building [see “Two crew members killed …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 19, 2024].
In its latest update, the NTSB emphasized the importance of using the information on the blue emergency contact signs at every grade crossing to report potential safety issues. Trains reported on the blue-sign program earlier this year [see “Behind the blue sign,” Trains.com, July 16, 2024].
The NTSB also corrected some information it had previously released [see “UP train was traveling 68 mph …,” News Wire, Dec. 20, 2024]. Among the correction: the truck’s load was not a wind turbine base, but was other heavy equipment. The NTSB also corrected the name of the trucking company involved (Boss Heavy Haul, LLC), and that the truck was hauling a hydraulic platform trailer, rather than a low-boy trailer.
No further updates are planned, the NTSB says. Its next release of information will be a preliminary report, which should be released within a month.
Boss Heavy Haul’s Jason Brady, executive director, marketing and communications, released a statement on Dec. 26, KWES-TV reports: “As a company that prioritizes safety above all else, BOSS Heavy Haul, LLC, is committed to working closely with the NTSB, railroad officials, the community of Pecos and others on the ground to assist with the investigation in any way we can.”
It should be noted that parties to an NTSB investigation are extremely limited in what they can say while the investigation is in progress.
— Updated Dec. 27 at 7:15 a.m. with statement from Boss Heavy Hall.
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