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A freight train traveling through Texas’s Reeves County derailed when it collided with a tractor-trailer, before slamming into a building, authorities said, leaving two people dead and three others injured.
Officials in Pecos City declared a major accident on Wednesday after the train crashed into the town’s Chamber of Commerce building near the intersection of Oak Street and Dot Stafford Street.
Union Pacific, based in Omaha, Nebraska, said Thursday that two of its employees had been killed. Pecos Police Chief Lisa Tarango said the other injuries were minor.
“We did have a tractor trailer struck by a train which did cause a derailment a little before 5.00 p.m. today,” Pecos City manager Charles Lino confirmed to reporters on Wednesday evening after initial reports said the vehicle involved was an 18-wheeler truck.
It is not clear how the tractor-trailer became stuck on the tracks.
The Pecos Police Department is now leading the investigation with support from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Video of the collision, which was obtained by NewsWest 9, shows the moment the train barrels into the vehicle. “That’s not good,” the witness behind the camera says as he watches the collision from his own vehicle.
Harrowing footage shared to Facebook by Reeves County officials shows the aftermath of the crash, including train cars strewn beside the tracks. Police, firefighters, ambulances and other vehicles appearing to attempt to clear up the area are also seen in the video.
The public has been urged to avoid the area for safety reasons, authorities said in a public notice on Wednesday evening.
Three train cars that carried potentially hazardous materials were derailed, however, there were no known leaks of the dangerous cargo. The only spillage was diesel from an engine that has since been contained.
Eddie Morales Jr, a local state representative, said on Facebook that he has been contacted by the Texas Department of Emergency Management and local officials.
No other details have been released. An update is expected at 10.00 a.m. local time on Thursday morning.
The Independent has contacted the Pecos Police Department for more information.
