A truck driver was killed Sunday when 30 cars of a coal train derailed and a rail bridge collapsed over Interstate 25 north of Pueblo, Colo., investigators said.
Images and video released by the Colorado State Patrol show a semitrailer crushed under the bridge and more than a dozen derailed train cars that spilled coal across the highway. Two sets of train car wheels can be seen among the coal.
BNSF, the train operator, said no injuries were reported among the crew. The railroad said it was working with authorities to investigate and clean up the site.
State Patrol spokesman Gabriel Moltrer said the truck driver was fatally injured. The Pueblo County coroner’s office has not released the driver’s name.
A stretch of the interstate, which runs north-south through Colorado via Denver, remained closed in both directions Monday. The section of highway carries about 40,000 vehicles daily.
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“This will be an extended closure,” the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a bulletin for drivers.
Share this articleShareThe National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the derailment, with a team expected to arrive at the scene Monday. Sarah Taylor Sulick, an NTSB spokeswoman, said the investigation also will examine the bridge and its maintenance.
The bridge’s ownership on Monday wasn’t clear. The state Transportation Department said it is owned by BNSF, but the railroad said it is owned by the state agency. The crossing is listed in state bridge records that don’t indicate ownership. The records rank its condition as “poor,” a designation that does not necessarily indicate a safety risk.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday he talked to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) about the derailment, adding that officials from his federal agency were on their way to the scene.
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BNSF has had 177 derailments this year, according to Federal Railroad Administration data. Most accidents recorded by the FRA occur in rail yards rather than on mainlines.
Also Monday, the NTSB released findings from a BNSF derailment in Raymond, Minn., this year that led to 800 people being evacuated because some of the derailed cars were carrying ethanol. Investigators found that five tank cars released hazardous materials. The March 30 derailment was caused by a broken rail, the NTSB concluded.
The safety of freight railroads has been under scrutiny this year following the February derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. In that case, a Norfolk Southern train came off the tracks, and officials decided to vent and burn cars carrying vinyl chloride. Black smoke billowed over the community, leaving residents concerned about their health.
The Ohio derailment, which is still under investigation by the NTSB, prompted the FRA to push for stronger railroad regulations as lawmakers also vowed to make changes to safety laws.
A Senate committee approved a bill in May, but it has not come up for a vote on the Senate floor. Legislation has not moved forward in the House.
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