(The following story by John Mangalonzo appeared on the Hawk Eye website on August 20.)
FORT MADISON, Iowa — Rail and vehicular traffic on 33rd Street here was blocked for nearly seven hours Friday after a Burlington Northern Santa Fe coal train collided at 7:30 a.m. with a semitrailer spilling its load of thousands of boxes of bottled cooking oil.
Fire and city crews, with the help of Fort Madison prison inmates, cleared thousands of individual bottles of Carlini canola oil meant for delivery to Aldi’s in Burlington.
Fort Madison Fire Chief Joey Herren said the crossing was cleared of all the accident debris by 2:30 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Police are expected to issue a failure to yield to a right of way citation against the semi driver, Patrick Steven McVey, 54, of Fort Madison.
Authorities said the semi was headed north on 33rd Street when it tried to cross the tracks. It was unclear whether the semi was stuck in the gravel incline over the track or if the driver did not heed the train’s whistle.
The train collided with the semi’s cab just as the main compartment, where the driver was, had crossed the tracks. The collision caused the cab and its trailer to split apart.
The crossing does not have gates or flashing red lights. It does have a crossing sign.
The city’s mayor, Steve Ireland, who also works with Johnson Trucking, the company that owns the semi, said McVey was accustomed to crossing that intersection.
Ireland said McVey just finished loading his trailer at a nearby warehouse and was headed to Burlington when the accident happened.
Ireland said the driver apparently did not hear the train’s whistle. When his cab was halfway across, McVey told his managers that he heard a faint whistle followed by a rumble, then a crash.
As mayor, Ireland has called railroad officials several times about discussing to have the crossing improved. He said it’s dangerous, especially for vehicles pulling loads.
“We hope we get some kind of response after this,” Ireland said. “It’s time to talk to figure out what we need to do here.”
He said the driver was sent home Friday.
“The way it (the accident) looked, he’s one lucky fellow.” Ireland said.