(The following story by Dennis Yohnka appeared on The Daily Journal website on March 15, 2009.)
KANKAKEE, Ill. — Hell came to Bourbonnais, March 15, 1999.
Amtrak’s popular City of New Orleans passenger train rammed a semitrailer truck at a crossing north of town and the cars spilled into a twisted, freezing, burning nightmare.
Ten years later, the men and women who survived that ordeal and the volunteers who witnessed their pain are taking time out to publicly remember the experience that many wish they could forget.
There is no more need to review crumpled sheet metal or human wreckage. The mission now is to celebrate the strength that mends lives. And for some, there is still a need to say another heartfelt thank you to a community that cared.
The tragedy that unfolded on that cold night had no dominant focus. The first coverage of the crash was spread between the 11 dead; the 122 injured; the scores of other passengers who miraculously escaped; the unexpected heroes; and the one possible villain.
Later, the media would focus on that lone dark figure, truck driver John R. Stokes. As the “why” part of the story was uncovered, he never spoke to the media about that night. He escaped with only the horrible emotional scars of being blamed by some for one of the nation’s most horrific train wrecks. He died eight years later, 25 days shy of the anniversary.
While the curious may have wondered about Stokes’ role, national publications fed the public’s appetite for stories of personal triumph and agony.
The Ladies Home Journal, for example, allowed survivor Cindy Lipscomb to pour out a mother’s sad memories of the night she lost daughters Rainey and Lacey. Youngest daughter Jesse Anne survived, but the account made it clear that this Mississippi family was not headed for a quick recovery.
The Daily Journal even followed the story of 9-year-old Ashley Bonnin back to Nesbit, Miss. Three months later, the girl, who lost her right leg below the knee, was learning to make her prosthetic replacement work in a gymnastics class.
Summarizing the aftermath of this life-changing event is no less challenging than covering the flaming, tearful scene that night. However, members of The Daily Journal staff have gone forward and produced a series of stories that will appear over the next two days.