(Omaha television station KETV posted the following article on its website on September 18.)
OMAHA, Neb. — Three cars of a train derailed in Omaha on Monday morning.
At 96th and J streets, three cars went off of the tracks and blocked the roadway, according to the Union Pacific railroad.
The cars were parked on a hill when their brakes failed, causing them to crash through a sidewalk and across 96th Street, blocking traffic, authorities said. The track the cars were on ends before reaching the street and is used by local businesses to unload goods shipped by rail.
Maria Promes described what she heard to KETV NewsWatch 7.
“The building just started to shake, and we didn’t know — we thought maybe it was a tornado,” Promes said.
Omaha police advised motorists to avoid the intersection for the early hours of Monday afternoon.