(The following story by Diane Graff appeared on the Watertown Daily Times website on September 2.)
CLYMAN, Wisc. — An employee of Union Pacific Railroad was the victim in Tuesday morning’s rail crossing accident in the town of Clyman in Dodge County.
John A. Schaer, 58, of Mason City, Iowa, was killed when the semi-truck with a flat bed trailer he was operating was struck by a Union Pacific ore train at a crossing on Junction Road. Schaer was operating a truck owned by the railroad company.
The crash occurred at 8:18 a.m. Tuesday on Junction Road, eight-tenths of a mile north of County Highway J.
According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, the initial investigation has shown that a semi-truck with flat bed trailer carrying construction equipment was traveling north on Junction Road and was struck by a westbound Union Pacific ore train.
In the train were George M. Weiland, 56, of Mauston, Jerry L. Cromell, 43, of Friendship, and Guy W. McLennan, 39, of Wisconsin Rapids.
According to the report, the truck driver was pulling out of a parking area near the tracks when he started to slowly cross the rails. The semi-truck was pushed westbound and started on fire. As the vehicle was pushed westbound, the trailer broke free from the cab and the power unit struck a concrete pillar jammed between rail cars and the concrete building.
The train also started on fire, according to the report.
The train consisted on 63 ore cars and three engines. The engines and two railcars derailed.
A rail maintenance crew working near the crash observed the accident.
The crew responded heroically and made a very valiant effort to extinguish the flames, according to Sheriff Todd Nehls.
Schaer, the only occupant of the truck, was removed from the truck and pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m.
Seven others were provided medical transportation for smoke inhalation or other medical concerns.
The sheriff said Union Pacific officials were sending a critical stress debriefing team to the area.
The investigation into the crash was conducted by the sheriff’s department, along with Union Pacific investigators, the state Department of Natural Resources, and Wisconsin State Patrol. Others agencies involved include Clyman Fire and first responders, Juneau EMS, Watertown Fire Department, Dodge County medical examiner’s office and Dodge County Sheriff’s Department crash investigation team.
The train was staffed by a four-man crew and the emergency brakes were engaged prior to the collision. The Junction Road crossing is clearly marked with stop signs and white cross railroad markings.
Schaer was the fifth person in Dodge County to be killed in a train accident this year.
On April 10, four people were killed at a rail crossing just east of the city of Columbus in the Dodge County town of Elba.
The driver of a mini van was apparently trying to cut through a highway construction area on state Highway 16/60 to get to Columbus but strayed onto a dead-end street, driving over the rail crossing once and then trying to go back across the crossing.
That vehicle was struck by a train going about 60 mph and was pushed almost a mile down the line.
All four occupants, two from Hartford and two from Mequon, were pronounced dead at the scene.