(The following article by Nick Hytrek was posted on the Sioux City Journal website on December 29.)
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Union Pacific continued to investigate a rail yard accident in which a 57-year-old Sioux City man was killed Thursday.
“The entire operation continues to be investigated,” said Mark Davis, a Union Pacific spokesman at the railroad’s corporate office in Omaha.
The Woodbury County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the victim’s identity as William Magel. An autopsy was completed Friday morning, but results have not been released.
Sioux City Police Sgt. Rex Mueller said foul play is not suspected.
“We’re satisfied that it’s an accidental death. At this time it appears to be a tragic accident,” Mueller said.
Further investigations will be conducted by railroad officials, and the police department’s role has been completed, Mueller said.
Union Pacific will look at all facets of its operation, including track structure, mechanical systems and human factors, Davis said. Investigation findings will be shared with the Federal Railroad Administration.
A switchman/conductor, Magel was killed while separating rail cars by destination. According to previous reports, the accident involved a moving rail car and a stationary rail car in the Union Pacific rail yard in at the 2700 block of Floyd Boulevard.
Switching cars is a common job at the rail yard, Davis said, one that requires communication between switchmen and engineers.
“Whenever you separate cars by destination, you have communication by hand signals or by radio,” Davis said.
It’s too soon to tell if there was a breakdown in communication between Magel and the engineer, Davis said.
“I’d hate to speculate,” he said.
Employee fatalities are rare, Davis said. Union Pacific is offering counseling to the 34 employees at the rail yard and other employees who pass through the yard, which handles eight trains daily.