Federal safety investigators say the design of a railroad crossing contributed to a deadly crash between a dump truck and an Amtrak train in northern Missouri last year. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its final report on the June 2022 derailment in Mendon that killed three train passengers, the dump truck driver, and injured nearly 150 others.
The board said the steepness of the road and the angle of the intersection at the crossing were factors in the collision. It also says the dump truck driver proceeded for unknown reasons into the railroad crossing without stopping at a stop sign and crossbucks. The crossing was a passive crossing, meaning that it was not equipped with active warning or barrier systems, such as flashing lights or gates.
The investigation found that the train engineer was compliant with regulations, traveling at an authorized speed and there were no weather-related problems.
According to the report, the train engineer and the dump truck driver were not making or answering calls or sending text messages at the time of the crash.
Since the collision, the crossing has been closed. Several lawsuits have been filed by passengers and Amtrak employees involved in the crash.
The federal investigators say the City of Chillicothe, Chariton County and the Missouri Department of Transportation have a plan to close and redesign other passive crossings. A news conference is being held Thursday in Jefferson City to announce more details about this plan, which includes $50 million in state funding.
To view the report, click here.
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