CLEVELAND, September 3 — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is dispatching its Safety Task Force to help investigate a fatal remote control train accident in Clovis, N.M.
The accident happened yesterday at a Burlington Northern Santa Fe switching yard. Unconfirmed reports from BLET sources indicate that the fatally injured was a member of BLET Division 811 in Clovis. He and another BLET member were both working as Remote Control Operators at the time of the accident.
According to the Associated Press, the accident happened around 4:45 p.m. on September 2. BLET sources say the lone car being shoved by two remote control locomotives derailed.
The Safety Task Force will participate in the accident investigation with representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration, UTU, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
More details will be provided when available.