(The following story by Beth Smith appeared on The Gleaner website on June 16, 2010.)
HENDERSON, Kentucky — Four CSX employees were injured Wednesday after a utility vehicle they were in was hit by a CSX train in Webster County.
Mike Hill, a passenger in the utility truck, was airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville, while the driver of the truck, Larry Brown was transported by ambulance to Regional Medical Center in Madisonville. Both were listed in fair condition.
Another passenger, Dave Love, was treated and released from Regional Medical Center, and passenger, Jeff Russell, was treated at Methodist Hospital, but not admitted, officials said.
Webster County Sheriff Frankie Springfield said the accident occurred around 8 a.m. Wednesday at the railroad crossing on Slaughters-Elmwood Road, two miles north of Slaughters.
Brown drove onto the railroad tracks in order for the truck’s occupants to place “men working signs” on the tracks, authorities said.
That’s when a southbound CSX train struck the driver’s side rear of the truck, pushing the truck off the tracks and causing it to overturn, Springfield said.
Hill was ejected from the utility truck, authorities said.
Springfield said the railroad crossing does not have an arm or flashing lights to warn when a train is coming. However, he said, in interviewing the train’s conductor and engineer, both reported utilizing the train’s horn, running lights and bells to alert people of the train’s approach.
Springfield said the tracks were shut down from around 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.