Gunter, TX
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Following excerpt from this link
GUNTER, Texas (AP) - Transportation
officials worked Thursday to determine why two freight trains collided head-on,
killing an engineer and injuring four other crew members in a fiery wreck that
left cars scattered across the tracks.
A major rail line north of Dallas remained closed. U.S. Department of
Transportation officials were on the scene early Thursday along with National
Transportation Safety Board investigators, and railroad officials were also en
route to the rural crash site about 50 miles north of Dallas.
More than 20 rail cars lay in accordion fashion on the tracks after the trains
collided about 6 p.m. Wednesday.
At least one of the locomotives burned and flames spread to grass and other
nearby vegetation. The engineer who died, who was on the southbound train, was
found about 50 feet from the wreckage. Names of the dead and injured were not
immediately released.
One of the injured men suffered severe burns and was taken by medical helicopter
to a Dallas hospital, said Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Rebecca
Uresti. The other three injured crew members were in stable condition at Wilson
N. Jones Medical Center in Sherman, said hospital spokeswoman Karis Schirmer.
Joe Faust, a spokesman for Fort Worth-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.,
said both trains belonged to the company.
Rail cars on one of the trains were empty, while the other train was hauling
rocks, the Grayson County sheriff's department said. No one was evacuated, but a
hazardous materials crew was called to clean up spilled diesel fuel.
From Depot News website:
On May 19th at 17:55, two trains collided head on at Gunter, TX on the Madill Sub between Irving and Sherman, TX. This is former Frisco territory and is non signaled. Train U-MAODON1-19 was a southbound loaded rock train heading from Madill, OK to Donie, TX with engines BNSF 6789, 142, & 7138 and 65 loads weighing 9044 tons. Train U-SHTIRB1-19 was an empty train with engines BNSF 6351, FURX 8099, FURX 3052, BNSF 7806 and 65 empties for Clark, OK. The southbound loaded train apparently missed making the meet at Dorchester, TX and was operating with no authority on the main track. Crew on the northbound train was able to get stopped and jump off just prior to impact sustaining only minor injuries. Crew on the loaded train was not so lucky. The engineer was fatally injured in the crash. The conductor jumped prior to impact but was trapped in the wreckage and burned severely, but will live. Also fatalities of this crash were four engines, BNSF 6789, 142, 7138 and 6351. The 142 was badly burned in the wreck. Also, 24 of the loaded rock cars were derailed. The empty since it was stopped only had lines 3 & 4 and lines 9 – 13 derailed. The track was back in service at 12:30 on the 20th.
