train accident causes
Human Error to Blame for Oklahoma Train Accident
Three crewmembers from Union Pacific were killed in a fatal Oklahoma train accident involving a head-on collision between two trains. According to a news report in the Associated Press, the fatal train crash occurred just east of Goodwell, 300 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. Officials say the collision triggered a “diesel-fueled fireball” that badly burned the remains of the victims. In addition to the three fatalities, one worker jumped to safety while only suffering cuts and bruises.
Investigators, based on preliminary reports, state that the signals were working properly and that one of the trains should have pulled onto a side track. Therefore, experts believe that human error may have been a factor in the accident. They are trying to determine if the negligence of an operator or a supervisor at the communications center contributed to the crash.
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Driver Killed in El Reno Train Accident
A man was killed in an Oklahoma car accident involving a collision between a vehicle and a train. According to a news report in The Associated Press, the fatal train accident occurred at the intersection of Elm Street and Radio Road in El Reno. Officials say the victim was the sole occupant of the car at the time of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
According to the Annual Railroad Safety Statistics report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), there were 11,142 train accidents and incidents in the United States in the year 2009. In those accidents, 695 people were killed and 7,925 were injured. In Oklahoma, 11 fatalities and 64 injuries resulted from train accidents during that same year. Between the years 2005 and 2009, 68 people were killed and 467 were injured in Oklahoma train accidents.
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