VIEW SLIDESHOW WESTMINSTER - Police are trying to determine if someone is to blame for an overnight train derailment. According to investigators on the scene, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train derailed at 10:36 p.m. on Monday at the intersection of Wadsworth Parkway and 95th Avenue. Police said the train struck debris and pushed it 3,000 yards before coming to a stop. Three employees from BNSF were on board, and one was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to police. Westminster Police Investigator Trevor Materasso said they quickly accounted for the 37 rail cars that were still attached. They were able to identify four locomotives that were not transporting hazardous material. Firefighters from the Westminster Fire Department were also able to seal a small fuel leak, he said. "It could have been a lot worse," Materasso said. "We didn't have to evacuate any residents." Police are asking commuters to avoid the area throughout the day while they continue to investigate and clean up debris.
9News: Investigators say tree debris was put on train tracks twice before derailment WESTMINSTER - Police believe tree debris was intentionally put on train tracks leading to a derailment on Monday night. "The house normally vibrates a bit when a train comes through but last night it shook." According to investigators on the scene, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train derailed at 10:36 p.m. on Monday at the intersection of Wadsworth Parkway and 95th Avenue. Police said one of the train's four locomotives hit a large stump or part of a tree and pushed it 3,000 yards before coming to a stop. Three employees from BNSF were on board, and one was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to police. Westminster Police say an officer had was called out to the train tracks around 8:30 p.m. on Monday because someone noticed the tree stump on the tracks. The officer removed the tree trunk, but investigators believe that someone then put that stump back on the track. "We're convinced, as are Westminster Police, that the stump was placed on the track intentionally," said Steve Forsberg with BNSF. Westminster Police Investigator Trevor Materasso said they quickly accounted for the 37 rail cars that were still attached. They were able to identify that the four locomotives were not transporting hazardous material. Firefighters from the Westminster Fire Department were also able to seal a small fuel leak, he said. "There's no hazardous material associated with this train. We checked the manifest and realized very quickly that we're dealing with things like lumber and building supplies, which relieves us," explained Materasso. "It could have been a lot worse," he added. "We didn't have to evacuate any residents." While they may not have been evacuated, nearby neighbors not only heard the derailment, but also felt it. "So we heard the train, which is no big deal, we hear it all the time. I'm laying there thinking, 'Gosh that's pretty loud, that's not right.' Then thudding, screeching, just all awful and then the house started shaking and I'm like 'That's really not right,'" one neighbored explained. Many of the residents in the area are used to the sounds of the train but Dave Herhager said, "The house normally vibrates a bit when a train comes through but last night it shook." The derailment hasn't soured Herhager's feelings about the train. "The train's a great neighbor. They come by a couple times a day and honk their horn and wave," he added. Police are asking commuters to avoid the area while they continue to investigate and clean up debris. Northbound Wadsworth Parkway was down to one lane for most of Tuesday. A BNSF spokesman says while the line through Westminster was closed, trains were rerouted further east. BNSF is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person who put the tree debris on the track. They have a 24-hour tip line at 1-800-832-5452. Anyone with information and who wants to remain anonymous is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
I hope they catch them and prosecute them for anything they can think of; destruction of RR property, attempted homicide @ 3 counts, maybe even a terrorist act (hey you never know what the gov will think of) just think if there had been ethanol or chlorine tankers.
Now you dont hear that often nowadays, seems that most people complain about them in their neighborhood.
anytime you mess with rr property now like this it is an automatic terrorism charge. illinois has been charging it this way for a couple years now and other states are finally coming on board no punn intended. just imagine if there had been ethanol, propane, anhydrous ammonia, chlorine, or any other major hazmat and in a populated area, could have killed and injured hundreds of people, kinda like a terrorist plot.
Rocky Mountain News $10,000 reward offered in deliberate Westminster train derailment By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News (Contact) Originally published 12:05 a.m., June 11, 2008 Updated 09:03 a.m., June 11, 2008 A $10,000 reward is being offered by Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad for information leading to the arrest of whomever deliberately placed a tree stump on train tracks Monday night in Westminster, derailing a 37-car train. "The object that was placed on the track had some very dangerous consequences," said Steve Forsberg, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Officials believe the tree trunk was placed on the tracks at about 8:30 p.m., two hours before the train derailed. A resident called Westminster police, warning about the stump in the tracks in the 9000 block of Pierce Street. "An officer removed the tree stump," said Heather Wood, spokeswoman for Westminster police. "He moved it to the side of the railroad track and rolled it off the embankment. We didn't get any calls that the stump was back up" on the tracks. At 10:36 p.m., a local train carrying lumber, paper, malt and sugar ran into the tree stump. The three-person train crew apparently saw the obstacle but was unable to stop the train in time. The lead locomotive wound up at a 45-degree angle tilt, the following three engines ended on their sides, and the first 16 cars derailed. A brakeman, who was taken to a local hospital for neck pain, was released Tuesday. Forsberg said an estimate of damages is not yet available. Anyone with information about the incident should contact Burlington Northern Santa Fe police at 1-800-832-5452. Tipsters also can call CrimeStoppers at 720-913-STOP.
