by thirdtrick
Houston Chronicle 9/16/05:
SHEPHERD - A Houston-bound Union Pacific Railroad train struck another train on the same track in a head-on accident Thursday, killing a crew member and forcing the evacuation of residents in this small town.
San Jacinto County officials also closed schools for the day.
About 500 to 600 people had to leave their homes but returned when officials lifted the evacuation about six hours later.
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said a manually operated switch that guides a train from one track to another is the focus of the investigation. Officials are looking into whether human error is involved, Davis said.
The moving train was traveling from Pine Bluff, Ark., to Houston when it was mistakenly guided to the right off the mainline track onto a side track, causing it to hit the standing Union Pacific train about 12:15 a.m.
''We need to determine how and why the switch did that," Davis said.
He said one of the three crew members on the standing train died. His name was not released pending notification of relatives.
SHEPHERD - A Houston-bound Union Pacific Railroad train struck another train on the same track in a head-on accident Thursday, killing a crew member and forcing the evacuation of residents in this small town.
San Jacinto County officials also closed schools for the day.
About 500 to 600 people had to leave their homes but returned when officials lifted the evacuation about six hours later.
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said a manually operated switch that guides a train from one track to another is the focus of the investigation. Officials are looking into whether human error is involved, Davis said.
The moving train was traveling from Pine Bluff, Ark., to Houston when it was mistakenly guided to the right off the mainline track onto a side track, causing it to hit the standing Union Pacific train about 12:15 a.m.
''We need to determine how and why the switch did that," Davis said.
He said one of the three crew members on the standing train died. His name was not released pending notification of relatives.
