(The Associated Press circulated the following story on October 15.)
MESA, Ariz. — Railroad workers reopened yesterday the tracks where a train derailed the day before.
A freight train engineer suddenly braked Sunday when he saw a man running toward the train, which caused 10 of the 110 cars to derail, said John Bromley, a spokesman for Union Pacific, which owns the train. No one was injured.
“When a train stops suddenly, you always run the risk of cars derailing,” Bromley said. “The cause of derailment is sudden stop.”
Police temporarily held Robert Merchant, 20, of Snowflake, Sunday after he allegedly ran toward the train to motion for it to stop after his truck became stuck on the tracks, said Sgt. Ruben Quesada, a spokesman for the Mesa Police Department.
The truck did not cross the tracks at an established crossing, Bromley said.
Merchant won’t be charged until drug test results are returned but will most likely face charges of criminal damages and trespassing, Quesada said.
Damages are estimated at about $273,000, Bromley said.
The train, which carried scrap metal and fertilizer, was heading for the Los Angeles area from Phoenix. One car carried hazardous materials, but it wasn’t affected, and all the derailed cars were empty, said Mark Freeman, a spokesman of the Mesa Fire Department.
About six trains travel along the affected section of railway per day.