Train Collides with ATV in Mendon, Missouri
In a startling incident on a Monday morning in Mendon, Missouri, a BNSF freight train collided with an ATV stuck on the tracks, resulting in a fiery and tangled mess. The mishap occurred around 8:40 a.m. at the intersection of Mike Road and the railroad tracks, just north of Mendon in Cheriton County.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and the cargo load on the train remained unharmed. However, both the train engine and the ATV took a beating in the collision, as images released by the Missouri State Police revealed.
The train engine bore signs of damage, with black soot covering its front. In front of the train, the ATV lay mangled, resembling a twisted ball of metal, with wheel hubs and roll bars barely holding together.
The BNSF train operated on tracks shared with Amtrak, which meant potential delays for travelers on that fateful Monday due to the crash.
This incident occurred in the same stretch of railway in Mendon where a tragic train crash unfolded a little over a year ago. In June 2022, an Amtrak train collided with a dump truck, causing the locomotive to flip onto its side. This devastating accident resulted in four fatalities and over 140 injuries.
The collision happened just before 12:45 p.m., while the train was en route from Los Angeles, California, to Chicago, Illinois. The dump truck, transporting materials for an Army Corps of Engineers project, was struck from behind by the train, leading to damage to two locomotives, six coach cars, and separate cars for a café and baggage.
Notably, the accident site was a passive crossing, lacking gates, bells, or warning lights typical of active crossings. Instead, there was only a stop sign to alert drivers.
Over the years, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has advocated for the closure of certain crossings or their conversion from passive to active. In 1998, the NTSB recommended the adoption of technology to alert drivers about approaching trains at grade crossings.
Following the Amtrak crash, state lawmakers took action, approving $50 million in state funding for updates to railroad crossings. As per reports, the Missouri Department of Transportation has plans to either close or modernize 47 passive public rail crossings throughout the state.
Incidents like these serve as a stark reminder of the importance of safety measures at railroad crossings and the ongoing efforts to enhance them.
[Image: Images from the aftermath of the train-ATV collision on September 11, 2023, posted by the Missouri State Police]