Officials Investigate Missouri Train Collision That Caused Highway Overpass Collapse

 

ABC News - Officials Investigate Missouri Train Collision That Caused Highway Overpass Collapse.

National Transportation Safety Board officials are looking through video recordings after the collision of two freight trains caused the partial collapse of a Missouri highway overpass Saturday.

A Union Pacific freight train and a BNSF freight train collided under a highway overpass in Scott City, Mo. at about 2:30 a.m., according to a NTSB news release.

 

Missouri train derailment.

            

The collision caused the trains to derail and later triggered the partial collapse of the overpass, the release said.

A fire was also reported following the crash, authorities said.

" I could hear the train rolling through pretty fast and next thing I heard just destruction, loud crash and stuff. On my front porch, my son told me look up and the overpass was gone," said Scott County resident Ronnie Woods.

 

Missouri Train Collision Causes Partial Highway Overpass Collapse.

            

Two cars were traveling on the highway at the time. Seven people were injured.

"You're driving down the road and the next thing you know the bridge is not there… It could have been really bad," Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter told the Associated Press.

Robert Sumwalt, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said it's fortunate the crash was not much worse.

"I feel very lucky that we have no fatalities involved. It's still something that should not happen. Two trains should not be at the same place at the same time," Sumwalt said.