Video shows Texas freight train ram into pickup truck that was just cleared from deadly crash
ODESSA, TEXAS: A shocking video from a Texas fire rescue unit shows a freight train slamming into an unoccupied pickup truck that had just been evacuated after a deadly collision. The crash happened Wednesday morning, April 20, when the Texas Department of Public Safety was looking into the previous event.
The incident comes at a time when there is a heightened focus on railway accidents in the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. In the video from Odessa Fire Rescue, a train is seen slamming into the unattended pickup truck that had just been involved in the fatal crash.
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The Texas Department of Public Safety was investigating the fatal incident in Odessa on Wednesday morning, according to Daily Mail. A speeding train then collided with the vehicle near West Murphy and Business 20.
According to reports, a Honda minivan and a Ford F250 carrying a trailer collided, with the Ford ending up on the railroad lines. The driver of the minivan, 86-year-old John Edward Grube, died at the site but was not near the wreckage. Kay Clemens Pries, 90, Grube's passenger, was hurt and brought to a nearby hospital. According to the city, she is in critical condition, as reported by KGASTV.
Person inside truck 'got out in time'
The truck's driver, Jesus Guadalupe Laredo, 28, was brought to a local hospital in stable condition. ''The person inside that truck got out in time and was not [further] injured," according to a Facebook post from the City of Odessa. It comes just months after the Ohio incident, which has raised public awareness about goods train accidents.
Heightened caution after East Palestine crash
Norfolk Southern has committed more than $30 million in funding to help East Palestine residents, first responders, and community organizations, including $13 million to help over 7,600 families. However, the corporation is also being sued by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost over the costs of cleaning up the deadly chemical spill and causing environmental harm, as reported by Daily Mail.
The federal government has also filed a lawsuit against the company for the ecological damage caused by the February 3 incident. Norfolk Souther CEO Alan Shaw stated that he supports national efforts to tighten railway safety legislation, led by Ohio senators and members of Congress. These steps include increased inspection control for trains, more expenditure on wayside detectors, and stricter tanker vehicle regulations.