Semitruck Driver Killed When Colorado Train Derails, Spilling Train Cars and Coal

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A semi-trailer truck driver was killed when a train derailed and a bridge collapsed, spewing coal and mangled train cars across a highway near Pueblo, Colorado, on Sunday, authorities said.

The Pueblo County Coroner’s Office said Lafollette Henderson, 60, of Compton, Calif., died on scene. No other vehicles were involved, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gayle Perez said.

The Colorado State Patrol and the sheriff’s office posted photos and videos showing a partially collapsed bridge over the interstate with the semi-truck caught beneath. The images also show a pileup of train cars, train wheels scattered across the scene and loads of coal covering a portion of the highway. It was unclear when the bridge collapsed, state patrol spokesperson Gary Cutler said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement that preliminary information indicates that a broken rail just to the east of the I-25 bridge caused the derailment. NTSB investigators also believe the broken rail preceded the derailment and the bridge collapse occurred after the derailment.

“Investigators will continue to determine the cause of the broken rail and why warnings systems did not alert the crews to the condition of the track as part of the ongoing investigation,” NTSB said.

Interstate 25 was still closed in both directions on Monday. The Colorado Department of Transportation said it would be an “extended closure.”

CDOT said in a press release that the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway will function as the primary entity dealing with the cleanup, response and reconstruction. The agency said it will begin repairs has soon as the NTSB gives clearance. Interstate 25 serves as a vital link between Pueblo and Colorado Springs, CDOT said.

BNSF estimates that clearing activities will take approximately two days, once the cleanup begins, CDOT said.

The NTSB was sending investigators to the site about 114 miles (183 kilometers) south of Denver. The agency said in an email that the train consisted of five locomotives and 124 cars carrying coal, the Denver Gazette reported. A total of 30 cars derailed.

“A team of four NTSB investigators arrived on the scene (Monday),” an NTSB spokesperson said by email, according to the Gazette. “The team comprises specialists in track discipline, mechanical discipline, and railroad operations. The team will also be in communication with NTSB highway safety experts at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.”

A railroad bridge collapse in southern Montana in June sent railcars with oil products plunging into the Yellowstone River, spilling molten sulfur and up to 250 tons (226.7 metric tons) of hot asphalt.

Top photo: In this photo released by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, police respond to the scene of a train derailment near Pueblo, Colo., Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. The train derailment Sunday spewed coal and mangled train cars across the highway. (Joshua Johnson/Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office via AP)