September 10th, 2010 | 
Author: FONTANA, CA – The conductor of a westbound Union Pacific freight train in Fontana, California was critically injured after crashing into the back of a slow moving freight car that was going in the opposite direction on the same tracks.
Union Pacific train conductor's arm amputated in Fontana, CA train accident. Photo credit: KTLA-TV
The accident happened late Thursday evening, September 9, 2010 at about 11:55 p.m. on the tracks that run alongside Interstate 10 (the San Bernardino Freeway) near the Cherry Avenue exit.
The freight cars were hauling steel pipes and I-beams. The force of the collision shoved the locomotive into the load of steel and over the top of the rail cars causing a huge wreckage.
Several cars were derailed as a result of the accident.
The Union Pacific conductor became trapped in the wreckage and was pinned into his seat from all the steel. He was trapped about 20 feet off the ground in the locomotive that was piled over the top of the other freight cars.
Rescue workers had to amputate his arm. He is reported to be in critical condition.
Fontana is in San Bernardino County, California about 50 miles east of Los Angeles.
Location of violent train accident near the eastbound Cherry Ave. exit off the I-10 in Fontana, CA.
Mourice Moore, from the San Bernardino County Fire Department, spoke with a news reporter from KTLA, a Los Angeles TV station. Moore said that the steel had penetrated through the locomotive and also penetrated the conductor’s arm which ended up pinning him inside his seat as well.
The train’s engineer was also injured in the accident. The extent of his injuries are not clear but they are reported to be moderate. He managed to climb out and free himself from the wreckage. He tried to help free the trapped conductor but was unable to.
Rescue crews also tried to free the conductor. The fire department used every tool at their disposal, but eventually they had to call in a surgical team to amputate his arm in order to free him.
Both men were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Other than the two railroad workers that were injured in the accident, no other injuries were reported.
News crews arrived on the scene when daylight came and reported on the accident.
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It is unclear why the two trains were on the same tracks at the same time going in opposite directions. Union Pacific officials arrived on the scene to investigate the accident.
In an article at the KABC News website, Union Pacific spokesman, Aaron Hunt was quoted as saying, “We’re looking at what happened here, why would we have had two trains end up on the same line at the same.”
In a video from the KABC article, Hunt went on to say, “Whenever you have a train collision like this you always look at the technology and the technology will tend to guide you toward was there a potential for human error in this. So we’re looking at that.”
The KABC article said that officials plan to “analyze signals, dispatching records and other computerized information.”
Below is a Google street view of the Cherry Ave. exit off the I-10 freeway in San Bernardino. This is the site of the accident on the tracks that can be seen just south of the freeway. You can click the mouse and get a full 360° view of the surrounding area.
At one time there was some concern that a rail tanker was leaking some hazardous materials so early the following morning a HazMat team was called in. About 500 gallons of fluid had leaked out from one of the tankers of the westbound train but it turned out that the fluid posed no safety threats.
Emergency vehicles gained access to the wreckage using the freeway. Traffic in the area was re-routed after the accident. The Cherry Ave exit on the I-10 was also closed, but was later reopened.
Published by FELA lawyer Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP
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