CLEVELAND, May 30 — Following the death of BLE member G.D. Shelby, BLE International President Don M. Hahs extended deepest sympathies to Brother Shelby’s family and friends.
President Hahs also ordered the BLE flag atop Brotherhood headquarters in downtown Cleveland be flown at half mast for the next three days to honor the memory of Brother Shelby.
Brother Shelby, 61, joined BLE Division 871 in Slaton, Texas, on Sept. 1, 1989. He is survived by his wife, Ann; a daughter who lives in Lubbock, Texas, and a son who lives in Finland.
NTSB investigators and members of the BLE’s Safety Task Force are in Clarendon, Texas, today investigating the scene of the accident where Brother Shelby was killed and three other train crew members were injured. Two BNSF freight trains collided head-on around 9 a.m. on May 28.
Brother Shelby is the second BLE member killed in the line of duty this year.