(The following story appeared on the South Bend Tribune on March 10.)
ELKHART, Ind. — Two westbound train cars hauling semitrailers derailed about 10:45 a.m. Monday on the Norfolk Southern tracks near the intersection of Main and Middlebury streets.
The cause of the derailment was not immediately known.
There were no injuries, and police said there were no hazardous materials in the semitrailers.
“It appears one car jumped the track on the west side of the Main Street crossing and continued east after jumping the track, eventually turning about 90 degrees and blocking Middlebury Street,” said Sgt. John Lerner of the Elkhart Police Department.
The flat car behind it followed but remained more in line with the tracks.
Lerner said there have been other derailments in the city before, but they have been few and far between in comparison to the thousands of trains that safely pass through every year.
“If we kick a (train) car off or derail every once in a while, it’s a pretty good average,” he said.
Traffic on Main and Middlebury streets was detoured around the derailment site as Norfolk Southern crews investigated and began cleanup efforts.
Police said equipment to remove the derailed cars was en route from the Gary-Hammond area Monday afternoon, and the tracks were expected to be cleared by this morning.