Amtrak sues the owners of the truck struck in a fatal derailment in Missouri, alleging the driver

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

knew it wasn't safe to cross the tracks when he did

Amtrak is demanding $75,000 from a Missouri contracting company after a train struck one of the company's dump trucks in a fatal derailment on June 27.

In the lawsuit filed on Thursday against MS Contracting, Amtrak alleges that the dump truck driver, Billy Dean Barton II, could see the train coming but decided to cross anyway.

"Despite the fact that it was unsafe, careless and reckless to do so because of the clearly visible approaching Amtrak Train 4, Barton failed to yield the right of way to the approaching Amtrak Southwest Chief Train 4," the lawsuit, seen by Insider, says.

The collision killed three train passengers and the dump truck driver, Amtrak said in a press release earlier this week.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/amtrak-sues-the-owners-of-the-truck-struck-in-a-fatal-derailment-in-missouri-alleging-the-driver-knew-it-wasn-t-safe-to-cross-the-tracks-when-he-did/ar-AAZ4XPM

[leftieNanner]

1. Geez.

I used to have a small business selling repair parts for locomotives. I made sales/service calls in the repair shops for SP and WP. If you have ever been anywhere near a locomotive (the ones I experienced were the big freight haulers) you know to stay away from them. They are huge and powerful - and they cannot stop on a dime. Do not try to race them. You will lose. You will die.

Good for Amtrak.

[bluecollar2]

2. Good

But Amtrak should be suing for more. The full cost of damage to the equipment and loss of track use.

They should also use for the cost of installing full barricade systems up at all crossings in the affected county.

[moondust]

3. Possible suicide?

[TigressDem]

4. Trains have no choice to get out of the way. They stay on the tracks or crash.

Only people approaching the tracks can make a choice NOT to be in the way.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. My morning waitress's husband is an engineer and

Theur training had to wait for that Amtrack train. I think they got a call about 20 minutes later telling them the train had crashed.

[MyOwnPeace]

6. Good points from ALL posts!

It takes lots and lots of distance to stop a train - TONS of material rolling behind the locomotive and CANNOT stop in 100/200 feet like a car. A 'PROFESSIONAL DRIVER' (cab, bus, TRUCK) should KNOW THAT - and to not respect or acknowledge such is bound to cause a problem, you know, like a CRASH that could injure or KILL someone!
Human error is what it is - just a shame that poor judgment/human error allows catastrophes to happen.

[2naSalit]

7. If he had a license...

It's a question on the test. It was in every state I ever got a commercial license.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Stories of drivers who try to out race a train,

or actually drive around lowered barriers, are entirely too common.

I have read that a significant percentage of engineers have hit a vehicle or person on the tracks. That's sad.