Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Headquarters Assigned Accident Investigation Report HQ-2007-62, DeQueen and Eastern Railroad Company (DQE), Wright City, Oklahoma, October 18, 2007

摘要

A westbound DeQueen and Eastern Railroad (DQ&E), West Day Local (WDL), freight train collided with a southbound loaded log truck at a highway-rail grade crossing on October 18, 2007, at 11:26 a.m. (CST). The accident occurred approximately one mile west of Wright City, Oklahoma at DQ&E mile post 6.9, on the DQ&E, DeQueen Subdivision. The lone male driving the motor vehicle was killed. The motor vehicle received an estimated damage of $170,000. Injuries sustained by the train crew of the West Day Local resulted with the engineer receiving serious injuries and the conductor and brakeman receiving minor injuries from this accident. The railroad mechanical equipment damaged was the lead locomotive and two trailing locomotives, which derailed. The freight car that derailed was the first trailing car behind the locomotive consist. The subject car had the lead truck (A-end) derailed. Damages to railroad mechanical equipment was estimated at $250,000. Track and signal structure damages were estimated at $52,441. At the time of the accident it was daylight and clear with good visibility. The temperature was 85 degrees fahrenheit. Investigations determined factual evidence that railroad track warrants and bullentins instructed flag protection procedures to be performed at the subject crossing due to mechanical damages to warning devices. The warning devices had been taken out of service by the railroad two days prior to the accident. It was further determined that the train crew had failed to provide proper flag protection at this crossing as required and contributing cause factors determined that the DQ&E failed to make timely repairs to the crossing equipment warning devices. There were no cameras, nor any related photographical equipment located on any of the locomotives for purpose of filming events, of which the locomotive and or train was involved in.