Shocking video from the Texas Fire Rescue Team shows a freight train crashing into an unoccupied pickup truck that had just been cleared from a fatal collision.
The accident occurred on Wednesday morning while the Texas Department of Public Safety was investigating the earlier incident.
This comes at a time of renewed interest in train accidents following the Norfolk South disaster in East Palestine, Ohio.
According to officials, the previous accident involved a Honda minivan and a Ford F250 towing a trailer, with the Ford landing on the rails.
Video from Odessa Fire Rescue shows a train crashing into an unoccupied pickup truck that had just been involved in a fatal accident.
Shocking video from the Texas Fire Rescue Team shows a freight train crashing into an unoccupied pickup truck that had just been cleared from a fatal collision.
The Texas Department of Public Safety was investigating the fatal accident in Odessa Wednesday morning when an express train collided with the truck near West Murphy and Business 20.
The video of the train hitting the truck can be seen in the media player at the top of this article.
According to DPS, a Honda Mini and a Ford F250 towing a trailer were involved in an accident and the Ford ended up on the train tracks.
The minibus driver, 86-year-old John Edward Groby, died at the scene but was not near the wreckage.
Groppe’s passenger, 90-year-old Kay Clemens Breeze, was injured and taken to a local hospital. The city said her condition was critical.
Jesus Guadalupe Laredo, 28, was driving the truck and was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
The city of Odessa said in a Facebook post: “The person who was inside that truck got out in time and did not suffer (other) injuries.”
It comes just months after the Ohio disaster, which put Americans on high alert for freight train accidents.
The accident occurred on Wednesday morning while the Texas Department of Public Safety was investigating the earlier incident
According to officials, the previous incident involved a Honda minivan and a Ford F250 pulling a trailer, with the Ford landing on the rails.
Southern Norfolk has committed more than $30 million in funds to support East Palestine residents, first responders and community organizations, including $13 million to support more than 7,600 families.
However, the company is also facing a lawsuit from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost over costs of cleaning up a toxic chemical spill and environmental damage.
The federal government also sued the railroad for environmental damages from the derailment on February 3.
Shaw said he supports federal efforts to strengthen rail safety legislation, which is being led by Ohio’s US senators and representatives.
These measures include provisions for increased oversight of railway inspection, increased investment in road detectors and stricter standards for tank cars.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, right, testifies before the Ohio Senate Railroad Safety Committee Tuesday at the State House in Columbus, Ohio
However, when pressed to mandate a two-person crew for all trains, Shaw argued that there was no data to support that a two-person crew helps prevent derailment.
We rely on data, and we will follow science. And at this point, I haven’t seen any data that provides a direct link between crew size and derailments,” he told the Ohio commission.
The train that derailed in eastern Palestine was carrying three crew members, including a trainee.
However, crew-size mandates became a controversial topic after railroad workers’ unions argued that widespread job cuts across the industry in the past six years had made railroads riskier by increasing the frequency of one-person crews.
They say staff are spread too thin after nearly a third of all railway jobs have been cut and that train crews, in particular, are dealing with fatigue because they are on call 24/7.
A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio on February 6, as a result of the controlled burning of a portion of a derailed Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals.
Shaw testified Tuesday before the Ohio Senate Railroad Safety Committee, where he faced wide-ranging questions about the East Palestine derailment.
Ohio lawmakers recently passed a two-person crew mandate for trains that run through the state, though the legality of the rule is still up for debate.
The Ohio Railroad Association, a trade group, has argued that many of the measures are preempted by federal law. Lawmakers say the General Assembly could put in place statewide safeguards to help protect voters.
Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress after the derailment would require training crews to continue with a two-man presence.
The Federal Railroad Administration is also considering a rule requiring two-person crews in most cases.
No one was hurt in the East Palestine derailment, but half of East Palestine’s roughly 5,000 residents were evacuated for days.
