(The following story by Tommy Campbell of The Choctaw Sun appeared on the Meridian Star website on January 31.)
YANTLEY, Ala. — A freight train parked at the Concord Road crossing on the Meridian and Bigbee’s line in Yantley unexpectedly began to move in the predawn hours Sunday, rolling more than a mile and a half down the tracks where it collided with another set of parked rail cars across County Road 1 near the intersection of Watermelon Drive.
An M&B spokesman in Meridian told the Sun on Monday that because the brakes were properly set on the train, the company suspects foul play.
An investigation involving the Federal Railroad Administration and other agencies was ongoing Monday afternoon.
The incident occurred sometime between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
The two-engine train was pulling about 97 cars, according to Bill Gibson, Director of Choctaw County’s Emergency Management Agency. Several boxcars loaded with new kitchen appliances sustained heavy damage, Gibson said.
An M&B spokesman said a total of six cars derailed.
“It was a mess, but we are thankful that there were no injuries and no hazardous materials were involved,” Gibson said.
The company suspects vandalism may have been involved in Sunday’s incident, and a spokesman asked that anyone who saw any suspicious persons or vehicles in the area about that time to contact Choctaw Co. Sheriff James Lovette at (205) 459-2166 or EMA Director Bill Gibson at (205) 459-2153.
Yantley is in northwestern Choctaw County about a mile from the Lauderdale Co., Miss., line.
M&B Railroad is owned by Genessee and Wyoming, Inc., a provider of rail-freight transportation and its supporting services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America and Australia.