(The following appeared on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website on June 8, 2009.)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The question remains over what agency is responsible for a 2008 train accident in which a locomotive slammed into a bulldozer parked on a pair of Collinsville rail tracks.
“The case is still active,” said Belleville attorney Chuck Pierce, who is defending Collinsville city and township in the $1.25 million lawsuit filed by the railroad giant CSX Corp. Inc. in January.
The company is suing the municipalities over alleged damages to its tracks and locomotive following the crash. The collision involved a John Deere crawler dozer that someone parked on the tracks.
Collinsville city and township shared ownership of the equipment. It was allegedly stolen from a construction site at South Mulberry Street and Lebanon Road and driven to the tracks near Glidden Park.
Both city and township officials have declined responsibility by saying the theft was a prank. Lawyers for the company claim city and township workers didn’t provide enough security or train employees properly on securing the equipment, according to court documents.
Pierce said the case is still working its way through 3rd Circuit Court. The suit has been assigned to Judge Andy Matoesian.
“It’s still going through the initial phases,” Pierce said.
Police also continue to investigate who took the equipment.
“We believe we know who did it,” said Chief Scott Williams. “There isn’t sufficient evidence right now. We’re still hoping to resolve that.”
The collision happened near South Morrison and Railroad avenues.