FELA Lawyer News Blog

MEBANE, NC – A fiery truck-train collision occurred in Mebane, North Carolina on Thursday, May 13, 2010 when an Amtrak commuter train collided with a semi truck, injuring thirteen and shutting down service between Charlotte and Raleigh for most of the day. The train-truck accident occurred in Alamance County at the 5th Street crossing in Mebane, NC. The accident area is in the north central section of the state, 112 miles northwest of Fayetteville, NC and 42 miles south of Danville, Virginia.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning Barry C. Lazaro of Wake Forest, NC was driving a semi flatbed trailer truck on 5th Street in downtown Mebane, NC, carrying a backhoe on the flatbed section of the rig. The trailer truck is owned by Lazaro Contracting, Inc., based in Raleigh.

As the 18 wheeler truck was attempting to cross the Amtrak rail tracks it stopped on the crossing, blocking both directions of rail traffic. The trailer section of the truck apparently got stuck on the rail tracks and the driver was unable to move it off the crossing. Mebane police reported that the truck had become disabled but they did not know how long it had been stuck on the tracks.

At that moment a westbound commuter Amtrak train, the Piedmont #73 traveling from Raleigh to Charlotte, was pulling into the Mebane crossing. The train was traveling at about 70 MPH and was unable to stop from slamming into the flatbed trailer truck. The impact of the truck accident shoved the semi flatbed truck about 150 yards down the tracks before it finally came to a stop.

The collision with the truck caused the locomotive and three coach cars to jump the tracks and derail and the impact ruptured fuel tanks which ignited a fire. The train’s locomotive and one of the cars burst into flames and filled the air with smoke. The Mebane Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire before it could spread too far, preventing additional damage.

A witness said that the truck driver was able to escape the cab of his 18 wheeler just before the train crashed into the flatbed section and was not injured. Others in the area reported hearing a loud boom and then the sound of bolts and other debris from the accident raining down on the cars in the parking areas near the train crossing.

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According to Amtrak authorities there were 36 passengers on board the train at the time it collided with the semi truck. Local emergency personnel rushed to the scene of the collision and helped passengers disembark the commuter cars. They treated and stabilized accident victims at the scene and reported that 12 passengers and one Amtrak crew member suffered injuries in the truck accident.

The victims were transported to three nearby hospitals, Duke University Hospital, Alamance Regional Medical Center, and the University of North Carolina Hospital.

The accident disrupted the regular service between Charlotte and Raleigh, NC and was expected to impact the routes to New York through Friday. The rail line brought in buses to transport the uninjured passengers to their destinations.

Crews brought in heavy equipment and vehicles to tow away the wreckage of the disabled semi flatbed truck. A Norfolk Southern engine was used to haul away the damaged passenger cars of the Amtrak train.

The truck accident also impacted the intersection of US 70 near the rail line which was shut down in both directions while crews cleared the collision site.

North Carolina Department of Transportation and Amtrak officials were at the scene of the train-truck accident to determine the cause of the crash. The track crossing at the 5th Street Mebane crossing has flashing lights and a gate and they were working at the time of the truck accident, according to NCDOT.

At this time no charges have been made and the truck accident remains under investigation.

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Gordon &amp Elias, LLP, is a top nationwide FELA lawyer firm representing railroad workers injured on the job who need experienced attorneys knowledgeable in the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA). For expert advice and FELA help, call 800.773.6770.

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