Veterans' Day float hit by Union Pacific train in Midland,TX

The Wall Street Journal has a story in todays paper (p. A3). It says the the NTSB "is poised in coming weeks to release a final report ...". Notably, the article mentions that the driver of the first of the two floats "had an air horn on his truck that sounded like a train's horn, and he was honking it during the parade for spectators." Hard to be aware of the oncoming freight with that going on . . .

Here is a link to the material immediately noted by Mr. Butts:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 2838085742" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Brief passage:

• A federal investigation has uncovered numerous factors that appeared to play a role in a deadly collision in Texas last year in which a freight train barreled into a parade float honoring wounded veterans, killing four people and injuring a dozen others.
  
  The National Transportation Safety Board is poised in coming weeks to release a final report into the probable cause of the Nov. 15, 2012, accident in Midland, Texas, when the train plowed into injured veterans and their spouses on their way to a banquet. While it isn't clear which factors the agency will conclude contributed to the accident, documents and transcripts from its 11-month probe point to a litany of issues
  

Depending upon the goodness of Mr. Murdoch's heart, you may be able to access such.

From http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.ph ... b8e7562299, a discussion that includes this link, and others:
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/2013/mi ... landTX.pdf

This is what I have been saying from the beginning of this tragic incident. IT WAS NOT, AND NEVER WAS, THE FAULT OF UNION PACIFIC!! When all is said and done, it is STILL the responsibility of a driver to STOP!, LOOK! And LISTEN! PERIOD! It was obvious to me from the get-go that had the driver of the float fully understood that railroad tracks can become "live" at any moment, "escort" notwithstanding, this tragic loss of life would have not occurred! Often the public automatically ASS-umes that such an incident is the fault of the big, mean old railroad. They are always the villain! The authorities have rightly seen that where fault lies, and its durn high time, too! I mourn any loss of life, and Lord knows, I've seen plenty of things from the cab of an engine, I get truly fed UP with people wanting to sue the railroad every time they do something stupid! Their eyes light UP with $$$$ signs while they go after UP, NS, CSX---whoever---when it is THEY that cause the accident!!!!!! It AIN'T US, folks!!! You need to look in the mirror for a change!!!

GF

retired NS