CLEVELAND, May 20 — Representatives of the BLET’s Safety Task Force are on the scene investigating a deadly head-on collision between two Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight trains just north of Gunter, Texas.
One crew member was killed and four others were seriously injured in the crash, which happened yesterday afternoon (May 19.)
The BLET has confirmed that one of its members was killed in the accident. However, his name is not being released pending confirmation that his family has been notified. He was the locomotive engineer of the southbound locomotive and belonged to BLET Division 172.
According to the Associated Press, one of the trains was hauling rocks, and the cars on the other train were empty. A hazardous-materials crew was called to clean up spilled diesel fuel. At least one of the locomotives burned and flames spread to grass and other nearby vegetation.
One of the injured men suffered severe burns and was taken by medical helicopter to a Dallas hospital, the AP reported. The other three injured crew members were in stable condition at Wilson N. Jones Medical Center in Sherman. Gunter is about 50 miles north of Dallas.
The BLET Safety Task Force that was organized in 1989 for the purpose of participating in accident investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The goal of the task force is to contribute to the accident fact-finding phase and the safety recommendation phase of NTSB accident investigation from the viewpoint of the BLET.