WORKER INJURED AFTER FALLING FROM A LADDER AT FORMER SOUTH HIGH CONSTRUCTION SITE IN SPRINGFIELD, OHIO

MARCH 25, 2015

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO

A construction worker on Wednesday was injured on the roof at the former South High School, 700 S. Limestone St.

The Springfield Fire Rescue Division used an aerial truck on the south side of the building around 2:45 p.m. to remove the worker from the top of the building. The worker suffered a head injury, according to Battalion Chief Matt Smith.

The worker was sent by squad to Springfield Regional Medical Center where he was later transported by medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital.

The construction is part of a $10 million project to renovate the former high school to house the Global Impact STEM Academy and the Career ConnectED Center.

Kapp Construction is the general contractor on both sides of the project.

According to Paul Szymanski, the school district’s Straight A project manager and not employed by Kapp Construction, the injured worker is a subcontractor. No other details about the worker’s identity were provided.

The accident happened on the south side of the building where construction for GISA is taking place, Szymanski said. The worker fell off a ladder while working on electrical components, Syzmanski said, but is expected to recover.

Safety inspectors were on site to get more information after the incident, he said.

“We’re praying and hoping for the best for the contractor who was out there,” Szymanski said.

Battalion Chief Smith said the fire company called to the scene had recently practiced a similar ladder rescue on Saturday. 

“We do it two or three times a year,” he said, “but this just happened to fall right after we had run a scenario.”

ILLINOIS SEN. DURBIN: BNSF RAILROAD SAID THAT GALENA DERAILMENT CAUSED BY WHEEL MALFUNCTION. THE WHEEL OF A TANK CAR BROKE, CAUSING THE DERAILMENT.

MARCH 25, 2015

GALENA, ILLINOIS

An Illinois Senator says BNSF Railroad told him the preliminary cause of a train derailment and fire near Galena earlier this month.

Sen. Dick Durbin spokesman Ben Marter says railroad executive chairman Matt Rose told Durbin that the cause of the train derailment March 5 is a wheel malfunction. Marter says the Senator didn’t elaborate more on what that means, but he did say the definitive cause won’t be known until the Federal Railroad Association releases the results of its investigation.

Many train derailment or other accidents have been caused by wheel malfunction.  Basically, the wheel of a box or tank car breaks, causing the derailment.  Sometimes the wheel brakes and there is no derailment.  But with the tank cars carrying sloshing fluid, derailment is very often the case than not.

At other times, the top rail breaks and that causes the derailment.  And so on.

BNSF spokesman Mike Trevino refused to reveal the details of the CEO’s conversation with the Senator. Kevin Thompson with the Federal Railroad Administration said he could not confirm any specific cause and said his agency was still investigating.

The derailment caused several cars, which were carrying crude oil from North Dakota, to catch fire.

Last week, railroad officials led a tour of the site to show its efforts to minimize the environmental impact.

“Stricter standards are needed to prevent these fiery train derailments from occurring. BNSF and other railway companies will be critical partners in our ongoing efforts to ensure that our communities are safe during the transport of potentially dangerous and combustible products,” Durbin said in a statement on his website about his meeting with Rose.

MORE TRAIN DERAILMENTS. NOW WE ARE REALLY SCARED. 48 TRAIN CARS FROM THE 51-CAR UNION PACIFIC FREIGHT TRAIN DERAIL IN NEVADA

MARCH 25, 2015

LOVELOCK, NEVADA

Update 7:30 p.m.: About three football fields of the desert floor was strewn with cardboard boxes, wooden pieces and train car wreckage Wednesday evening after a train derailed near Lovelock, Nev., according to RGJ reporter Marcella Corona.

She said about 30 of the 48 cars that derailed are completely off the tracks and are piled on top of each other.

It also appears a power line and some nearby pipes were damaged by the train. The train tracks run parallel to U.S. 95.

Update 6:15 p.m.: U.S. 95 has reopened after a train derailed near the highway Wednesday afternoon, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The highway was closed while officials tried to see if any hazardous materials were inside the derailed train cars. Officials said it appears there were none.

Update: The majority of a 51-car train derailed near Lovelock, Nev., Wednesday afternoon, a Union Pacific official said.

Forty-eight cars derailed about 3:40 p.m., shutting down U.S. 95 in both directions. It's unknown if the train was carrying hazardous materials, though a team is en route to investigate, said Frank Castillo of Union Pacific.

"No injuries are reported at this time," he said.

The Reno Gazette-Journal has a crew heading to the site of the crash. Stay tuned for more updates.

Original post: Nevada Highway Patrol has shut down U.S. Highway 95 at mile marker 47 in Churchill County because of a train derailment, Trooper Dave Gibson said.

The highway is closed for a possible hazardous materials spill, although such a spill has not been confirmed. Gibson said the highway closure is precautionary.

BAD DRIVERS ARE ALWAYS IN A HURRY: DRIVER INVOLVED IN SUNRAIL CRASH MAY HAVE TRIED TO BEAT TRAIN

MARCH 25, 2015

MAITLAND, FLORIDA

A southbound SunRail train was involved in a crash with a Ford Freestyle in Maitland this evening.

No injuries were reported in the crash, which occurred near the tracks at Horatio and Maitland avenues at about 6:30 p.m., Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jessica Keane said.

The back end of the Ford was smashed, and there was some minor damage to the train.

Witnesses told Maitland police the driver of the Ford may have tried to beat the train by speeding through the crossing, Lt. Louis Grindle said.

The driver was not immediately cited, Grindle said.

All SunRail trains were suspended as of 7:20 p.m.

The train involved in the crash carried the 150 passengers aboard back north to Maitland station. The Ford was towed away around 7:45 p.m.

Pete Baker, one of the passengers, said some of the people on board were heading to Orlando Magic game downtown.

After the crash, the train lost power and the air conditioning went off, Baker said.

The most recent SunRail crash was reported in January, when a minivan driver tried to maneuver around lowering traffic arms as a train approached, Orlando police said at the time.

No injuries were reported in that crash. The train was stopped on the tracks at Virginia Drive and North Orange Avenue for about an hour.

The driver should have their license suspended for 10 years, and have to pay each person on the train a $1000 inconvenience fee.