In Pecos City, Texas, a train collided with a tractor-trailer on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring three more.
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A train crashed into a tractor-trailer stopped on the tracks in Pecos, Texas on Wednesday.
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The train derailed and crashed into the Chamber of Commerce building nearby.
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Two people were killed, and three others were injured, according to Pecos City officials.
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A train crashed into a tractor-trailer stopped on the tracks in Pecos, Texas on Wednesday.
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The train derailed and crashed into the Chamber of Commerce building nearby.
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Two people were killed, and three others were injured, according to Pecos City officials.
Texas’s PECOS CITYIn West Texas, a train derailed after colliding with a tractor-trailer, leaving two persons dead and three injured. Both of the deceased men worked for the Union Pacific Railroad.
What happened: The collision occurred in Pecos, Texas, approximately an hour west of Odessa, at approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
On the incident’s video, a tractor-trailer with a big load is seen stopping on the railroad tracks when a train roars by and collides with the vehicle.
Then the train went down. Reeves County video shows multiple train carriages going off the tracks, causing damage to the adjoining Chamber of Commerce building.
Some people with slight injuries were inside the Chamber of Commerce building when the crash occurred, and the building sustained severe damage. Until the Chamber of Commerce building is judged safe, no one is permitted inside. The crash scene is devoid of residential buildings.
Reeves County is the source.
At the scene of the collision, one person passed away. City officials said the other person passed away on Thursday morning.
The names of the deceased have not been made public by city authorities until the next of kin have been notified. Additionally, the names of individuals who suffered minor injuries are still unknown.
On Wednesday, Pecos, Texas officials provide an update on the train accident.
Although there were potentially dangerous goods in three of the train’s carriages, Reeves County officials claim no hazardous materials were released and the public is not in risk. Lithium batteries were in one of the rail cars. Another contained car airbags. Investigators are checking to make sure the batteries were not harmed, but the battery container was not compromised. The public is not thought to be seriously threatened by the airbag container.
The crash scene was visited by six NTSB investigators.
Train Derailments
By the numbers: The Federal Railroad Administration reports that between January 2021 and September 2024, 6,806 trains in the US were derailments.
Texas accounted for 755 of those. Illinois had 484, the next highest number of any state.
While many derailments did not result in injuries, others have caused anxiety, such as the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
What they’re saying:In response to the deadly train accident, Eddie Hall, National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, issued a statement Thursday afternoon.
“This unfortunate event serves as a warning that much more work needs to be done to improve the safety of railroading. Since the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is a party to the National Transportation Safety Board’s inquiry, our ability to comment on this incident and derailment is restricted. We may and must state that lawmakers should take this catastrophe as a wake-up call to increase rail safety throughout the US. “Every railroad mishap can be prevented,” he declared.
Next steps:The union urged state legislatures and Congress to enact comprehensive rail safety laws. Among the adjustments they are looking for are measures to increase the safety of train crossings, require adequate staffing, and allow time for routine rail car inspections.
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The Federal Railroad Administration, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Reeves County, and Pecos officials provided the information for this article.
The Federal Railroad Administration, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Reeves County, and Pecos officials provided the information for this article.
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