Amtrak was going at 87mph before collision in Missouri, says investigators
NTSB chairwoman acknowledged issues with railway crossing
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Amtrak train which derailed upon collision with a dump truck in Missouri this week had been travelling at 87mph when it derailed, investigators have said.
In an update on Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigating the derailment said it had found the train was travelling at 87mph. Although the speed limit at the crossing is 90mph, the board did not say speed was a cause of the collision.
Moments before impact with a dump truck at a crossing in Mendon, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the train had blown its horn about a quarter mile (400 metres) from the collision site.
The train continued blowing its horn before colliding with the dump truck – the driver of which was killed along with three Amtrak passengers.
The coroner in Chariton County identified the deceased truck driver as 54-year-old Billy Barton II, of Brookfield, Missouri, on Wednesday.
The two train passengers who died at the scene were Rochelle Cook, 58, and Kim Holsapple, 56, both of DeSoto, Kansas. A third passenger, 82-year-old Binh Phan, of Kansas City, Missouri, died in hospital on Tuesday.
So far, the team of 16 NTSB investigators working at the collision site have found no issues with the train’s brakes or other mechanical issues, Ms Homendy added.
She meanwhile acknowledged that the railway crossing where the collision occurred had no lights or other signals to warn about an approaching train, and was described by Ms Homendy as “very steep”.
The NTSB chairwoman said residents had warned about the safety of the crossing before the collision, which 64-year-old Missouri farmer Mike Spencer told reporters earlier this week was “going to happen” because of the issues with the crossing.
The Southwest Chief was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago with about 275 passengers and 12 crew members on board with it crashed and derailed. About 150 people were taken to nearby hospitals, state highway patrol said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Amtrak said: “We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s tragic event and mourn those who lost their lives. For those who helped others, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation.”
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments