CLEVELAND, May 2 — A veteran BLET member drowned on his way to work on May 1 when his car was swept away by swiftly rising floodwaters in Mayflower, Ark.
Brother Christopher L. Carter, 57, was a member of BLET Division 858 in Pine Bluff, Ark. A Union Pacific engineer, Brother Carter had been a BLET member for more than 36 years, first joining the Brotherhood on February 1, 1975.
According to Division 858 Local Chairman Jay Callaway, Brother Carter was on his way to work for the Union Pacific Railroad when the accident happened.
It was reported that Brother Carter had contacted his wife, who is a Conway Police Department Officer, after landing in the ditch at approximately 1:22 a.m. and that he had requested assistance. Investigators suspect that Brother Carter’s vehicle may have hydroplaned and left the roadway before coming to rest in the ditch between the roadway and the railroad tracks.
Due to the torrential rains that came through Faulkner County and the Mayflower area, water levels rose so quickly that when first responders arrived, Carter’s Ford Explorer was completely submerged. According to statements by the first responders, investigators believe the water was between five and six feet above the roadway when they were searching for Carter.
When the water receded, the vehicle was located and Brother Carter was found in the back seat area. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:59 a.m.
The Coroner has ruled the death accidental from drowning as a result of area flooding.
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce extended heartfelt sympathies to Brother Carter’s family and friends. He said it shows that locomotive engineers not only face danger daily in the performance of their duties, but on the way to and from work as well.
“Brother Carter was a professional locomotive engineer who was answering the call of duty when tragedy struck,” President Pierce said. “This terrible accident shows the dangers that locomotive engineers face in reporting to work at any given time and in any given weather conditions.
“On behalf on the BLET National Division and all men and women of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, I extend our most heartfelt condolences to the Carter family.”
More details to come when available.
(Information for this report from www.todaysthv.com and www.arkansasmatters.com.)