The safety arms at a train crossing in rural Virginia had malfunctioned several times the day before an Amtrak train carrying several GOP members of Congress slammed into a garbage truck, killing a 28-year-old passenger.
Residents in Crozet said the crossing arms kept going down signaling them to stop on Tuesday although no train was approaching. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether the safety arms had malfunctioned, but said its too early to determine if that was the cause for Wednesday’s fatal crash.
Gene Locke, who lives near the crash site in Crozet, told the Associated Press that between 8:30am and 9:30am Tuesday he saw the safety arms go down and the signal light flash.
Emergency personnel work at the scene of a train crash involving a garbage truck in Crozet, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018
The train was carrying several Republican lawmakers from Washington DC to West Virginia for an annual retreat when it crashed into the truck
Christopher Foley, a 28-year-old father-of-one, was killed in Wednesday’s train collision
Foley was a passenger in the garbage truck, owned by Time Disposal, his family said
That typically warns drivers not to cross the tracks because a train is approaching, but Locke said a train never went by in either direction. After waiting a minute or so, Locke said he backed up, turned around and took a different route to get to his destination.
He told the Associated Press that he assumed the arms were either not working properly or workers were testing them.
‘I did not report this, as it was the first time this has happened in my observation since I have been using that crossing for several years,’ he told the outlet.
Jane Rogers, who lives about two miles from the crash site, said that when she arrived at the crossing Tuesday, the gate was down. Rogers also said a train never went by.
‘It was a weird up-and-down thing,’ she said. ‘Then the next day, the accident happened at that intersection.’
Rogers said after waiting, one car in front of her and two cars behind her turned around. Then, as she started to turn around, the gate went up. One car then crossed the tracks, but Rogers said she waited another 30 seconds and the gate went down again.
The crash left one person dead and four people injured, including the truck’s driver and another passenger
Authorities said hundreds of people were on the train, including several GOP members of Congress
The crash caused serious damage for the forward engine of the train, pictured above in a picture posted to Twitter
The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the accident
Many lawmakers on board who are physicians were among the first responders on the scene to tend to the injured. Above, a view of the crashed truck from inside the train
Sen. Jeff Flake said there were three people in the truck – one who died and two others who were injured
The collision caused the contents of the truck to spill out over the side of the tracks
Earlier this week, Crozet resident Benny Lane told the Associated Press that he saw a man examining the malfunctioning crossing arms a few days before the crash.
Lane, who lives near the horrific crash site and said the destroyed garbage truck was on his property, said the gate would stay down for hours at a time.
Carrie Brown, human resources manager at Buckingham Branch Railroad, which leases the stretch of track and is responsible for maintenance, said Wednesday that she was unaware of any problems with equipment at the crossing.
Pete Kotowski, the lead investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, said an exhaustive investigation is being conducted.
Wednesday’s crash injured six people and killed 28-year-old father-of-one Christopher Foley. Authorities said he was a passenger in the garbage truck.
‘Chris was such a kind, loving, and special man. He was always trying to make you laugh and he made everyone he came into contact with smile. His son was the light of his life and Adriana was the love of his life,’ family members wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help with funeral expenses.
‘He was a hard worker and he would be amazed at how many people are coming to aid in this tragedy right now.’
Above, an aerial view of the crash scene on Wednesday near Crozet, Virginia
Residents in Crozet said the safety arms at the train crossing had been malfunctioning the day before the crash
Gene Locke, who lives near the crash site in Crozet, told the Associated Press that between 8:30am and 9:30am Tuesday he saw the safety arms go down and the signal light flash but a train never went by in either direction
Jane Rogers, who lives about two miles from the crash site, said that when she arrived at the crossing Tuesday, the gate was down. Rogers also said a train never went by
Resident Benny Lane said the safety gate would stay down for hours at a time. The destroyed garbage truck landed on Lane’s property
Another passenger in the truck was airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center with critical injuries, WTVR reports. The driver was taken by ground in serious condition. The four other injured people, two who were crew members, have been released.
Eyewitnesses told NTSB investigators that the driver of the truck was reportedly seen snaking the vehicle through the crossing gates, although the safety arms were down and the signal light was flashing.
Kotowski said investigators are ‘in the process’ of trying to interview the driver of the truck. So far, four eyewitnesses have been interviewed, as well as a crew member from the train. Investigators scheduled an interview with the engineer of the Amtrak train.
During a news conference on Thursday, Kotowski said the train was traveling ‘about 61mph’ seconds before it slammed into the truck. The speed limit at that crossing is 60mph, he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether the safety arms had malfunctioned, but said its too early to determine if that was the cause for Wednesday’s fatal crash
Carrie Brown, human resources manager at Buckingham Branch Railroad, which leases the stretch of track and is responsible for maintenance, said that she was unaware of any problems with equipment at the crossing
Rep. Jason Lewis was among five people hospitalized after the accident. He suffered a concussion. He’s seen above being rolled away from the scene on a stretcher
After the crash, lawmakers continued on to their destination tweeting their prayers and condolences to Foley and those who were injured
The trash company, Time Disposal, has been in business for 33 years and has 17 drivers and 15 trucks.
‘The company has been subject to six roadside safety inspections with two of them resulting in vehicles being placed out of service,’ Kotowski said.
He also said the company had two reported crashes – one in 2015 and one in 2016 – but gave no further details on those accidents.
Wednesday’s collision happened at an intersection that crosses the tracks at the top of a hill where visibility is limited.
The Amtrak train was carrying several Publican lawmakers from Washington DC to West Virginia for their annual retreat at the Greenbrier Hotel when it crashed into the truck.
A few lawmakers were hospitalized with minor injuries, but have since been released.
The Republican lawmakers were headed to the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia for their annual retreat at the time of the collision