Bad week for train accidents

Last Thursday morning, one in a series of three recent train accidents in the tri-county area occurred near Van Horn.

By Gilda Morales

Last week was a bad one for train accidents with the most recent one claiming the life of a Marfa teenager.  The first one occurred around the Lobo area with a train hitting a semi-trailer, which was attempting to cross the tracks.  The semi was pushed nearly one hundred yards but no one was injured.

Early Thursday morning, first responders were called to the scene of another accident at a railroad crossing at Kent.  This accident involved a 54-year-old woman who was sideswiped by a train after she parked her car on the railroad tracks in a suicide attempt.  Incredibly, the woman escaped unscathed.  Local EMS responders reported that the extrication, took more than 3 hours and couldn’t have been possible without the help of TxDot and Union Pacific employees.

Saturday afternoon, a Marfa teenager was hit by a Union Pacific train in downtown Marfa.  Police reported that the teen was walking on the tracks with headphones on when he was struck by the train.  Law enforcement and railroad officials are still investigating the fatal incident.

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