(The following story by Maggie Borman appeared on The Telegraph website on June 23. Dennis L. Heeren is a member of BLET Division 109 in East St. Louis, Ill.)
KANE — An Alton man whose garbage truck was hit Tuesday by a Kansas City Southern train in Kane apparently was lucky to have survived.
“From where I was standing in my yard, I could see both the train and the garbage truck approaching the track, and thought, ‘Boy this is going to be close,’” said Bob Rothy, who witnessed the collision as he went out in his yard to get his mail.
“The next thing I knew, the train hit the garbage truck, and it went flying in the air and landed on its right side on the opposite side of the road. I was just sure the driver was dead, but as I headed that way, he crawled out the top of the driver’s side door. I was never so glad to see someone come out of there in my life, and this was sure his day to be blessed.”
The driver, Joe Hensley, 37, of Alton, wasn’t sure what happened.
“By the time I heard the train’s horn honk, it was too late, and the next thing I knew, I was out of the truck — didn’t even know how I got out — and couldn’t believe I didn’t even feel hurt,” Hensley said Tuesday afternoon.
Hensley, a driver for Merritt Waste of Shipman, was picking up residential trash in Kane. About 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, he was approaching the railroad crossing on West Street at the northwestern edge of the village. He said the railroad tracks cross West at a blind angle and that he did not see the train approaching. He said he was driving about 5 mph to cross the tracks when he heard the northbound train’s horn.
Hensley received medical care at the scene from Greene County Ambulance personnel but declined to be taken to a hospital until his boss arrived and the garbage truck was towed.
“I really wasn’t hurting much or feeling too bad when the ambulance was here, but I am beginning to hurt and be really sore now,” Hensley said at 2 p.m. Tuesday as he watched a truck from Bowers Towing Service of Godfrey set his garbage truck upright in preparation for winching it onto the tow truck.
Hensley’s head had some cuts, bandaged by the ambulance crew, a black left eye that was continuing to swell, aching ribs, and his right leg was beginning to hurt badly. Hensley has driven for the company for three-and-a-half years.
“I called my wife, Tammy, right after the accident to tell her and our five children that I was all right,” he said. “I told her as soon as the truck was secure, I would have my boss, James Merritt, take me to Alton Memorial Hospital and I would get checked.”
Kansas City Southern engineer Dennis Heeren of Mount Olive said he and his brakeman, whose name he declined to give, were not injured in the accident, and the train’s lead engine sustained minimal damage.
“The train was traveling 39 miles per hour as we approached the crossing, and we could see the garbage truck approaching, as well, and the driver continued driving onto the crossing,” said Heeren, who has been an engineer for 26 years. “You can tell from the skid marks that his tires were right in the middle of the crossing when we hit him. I am just glad he wasn’t seriously hurt,”
Rothy said he has lived in the same house next to the track for 50 years and has witnessed a number of near-collisions at the crossing, which has no cross-arms or signal lights. Rothy, who said the crossing is referred to locally as Rothy Crossing, said the crossing should have safety features of some sort.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Carrollton Fire Protection District, Kane Fire Department, Greene County Ambulance personnel and Illinois State Police from District 18 in Litchfield responded to the scene. The State Police are investigating the crash.