Thorsby, Alabama grade crossing accident
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The Thorsby, Alabama grade crossing accident was a crash between a freight train and a van at a grade crossing on a rural road near Thorsby, Alabama, which occurred at 5:46 a.m. CT on February 8, 2007. Four people died and four others were injured in the accident.
The van was attempting to cross the tracks of CSX Transportation where they cross Chilton County Road 29, near that road's intersection with U.S. Highway 31 approximately two miles (3 km) southeast of Thorsby. The van was struck by a train from Baldwin, Florida bound for Louisville, Kentucky. The train consisted of two locomotives and 38 freight cars, mainly automobile carriers.
Eight construction workers, all of them natives of the Veracruz, Mexico area, were riding in the van. They were on their way to jobs in Birmingham.[1] The four people killed were:
- Miguel Clavijo, age 19
- Diego Varela, age 27
- Rico Sipriana, age not made public
- Hugo Sipriana, age not made public, son of Rico Sipriana
The crossing was guarded only by a crossbuck and stop sign, both in poor condition.
The Thorsby area has been particularly troublesome for CSX regarding grade crossing accidents. The Federal Railroad Administration reported four accidents in the area during 2006. [2]
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the accident.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ 4 killed, 4 hurt when van hit by train. The Birmingham News. Retrieved on February 8, 2007.
- ^ Men Killed in Train-Van Accident Headed for Construction Jobs in Montgomery and Birmingham. WSFA-TV (2007-02-08).
- ^ Reeves, Jay. 4 Dead in Alabama Train-Van Crash. Associated Press.
