Gee, why isn’t this a surprise: The trucking business whose tractor trailer struck a train in Nevada Friday, killing six people, had a list of prior safety violations.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/27/us-amtrak-collision-idUSTRE75O1P620110627
In fact, John Davis Trucking, which is headquartered in Battle Mountain, Nev., had seven safety violations discovered during 19 random roadside inspections since September 2010, the National Transportation Safety Board said during a press conference Sunday.
There are five people still unaccounted for following the wreck at a crossing on Route 95 near Lovelock, Nev. There are still six deaths reported, with dozens injured. The truck driver that hit the train and the train’s conductor were among those killed in the accident.
According to press reports, the tractor trailer driver hit his brakes just 320 fet before the rail crossing, even though there were flashing warning lights and the signal arms had been lowered across the tracks.
The truck was going at such a high speed when it hit the train “that it embedded itself in the side of the train,” Reuters said.