SEVERAL HOMES SKIRT DISASTER
AFTER TRAIN DERAILMENT IN UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
Friday, January 23, 2015
Several railcars operated by Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad
derailed Thursday morning along Penn Street in Uniontown. No injuries were
reported. Work crews from the rail company were at the scene assessing the
damage and were assisted by Uniontown fire and city police departments.
Many area residents in the area woke up Thursday to the
sound of a train derailment in downtown Uniontown.
And for Georgia Eans, of 99 E. Penn St., the encounter was
very close.
A couple of the seven Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad cars
that derailed at the Penn Street crossing rest on their sides in Eans’ front
yard, the closest about three feet from her front porch.
“It sounded like a car crash. We heard a boom. I thought I
was dreaming,’’ said Eans, who was asleep at the time of the derailment. She
saw emergency officials were already on scene.
No one was injured when the cars, which were carrying sand,
derailed around 7:36 a.m., officials said.
Lt. Thomas Kolencik of Uniontown city police said an
engineer and conductor, who were not identified, were the only people on board
the train that was traveling south to Smithfield. He could not say how many
cars the train contained.
The railroad issued a report on its website Thursday,
explaining the train was traveling from Scottdale and that the cause of the
derailment is under investigation.’’
“SWP is responding fully in an effort to clean up the
damaged area as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible. SWP is committed
to fully supporting the emergency responders and meeting the needs of the
community and protecting the environment,’’ the website said. “SWP would like
to thank the Uniontown police and fire departments for their assistance with
the derailment.’’
No information on the cause was available late Thursday,
Kolencik said.
Standing on the front porch of her home, Eans pointed to a
railroad signal that lay under a train car, noting, “It usually stands in my
yard.’’
The accident attracted many who were curious about the
scene, including Jeffrey Hager, who lives on East Main Street and heard the
derailment while still in bed.
“I heard a boom. The train is always clanging when it slows
down, and the cars come together, but then I heard the whistles and the
helicopter,’’ said Hager, who decided to walk the short distance to the scene
after learning about the derailment on social media.
A press release from Fayette County Emergency Management
Agency said several utility poles were sheared in the area. A railroad car also
fell on one of the traffic signals on Penn Street. Kolencik said West Penn
Power crews were shutting off power in the area, affecting local residents and
businesses as well the police station. He said Thursday evening that
electricity had not been fully restored to the area although it was operating
again in the police station.
Eans, who has lived in her home for eight months, said her
power was turned off around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We have no electricity or heat. I have my 4-year-old
granddaughter here, so I’m going to leave,’’ she said.
Major problems were traffic control and clean-up, officials
said. The derailment prompted road closures in the immediate area. Traffic was
also being rerouted on the rail line, Kolenick said. No schools were affected.
The railroad crossing is at Penn and Locust streets, located
behind the Fayette County Courthouse and near the Uniontown police station.
Kolencik said that police were still able to handle their
duties despite these issues. An engine was brought in to take away rail cars
but clean up had not been completed Thursday evening and roads may still be
blocked Friday.
Both Hager and Eans noted the speed of trains that come
through the area.
“They fly through here all the time,’’ said Hager.
“I worry about trains, but I worry about everything,’’ Eans
said. “It comes through here sometimes a little fast, and it’s scary.’’
Eans said her first concerns when discovering the accident
were for the people on the train.
“I just prayed that
none of those workers were hurt,’’ she said. “I thank the Lord everybody is
okay.
