One person was injured and later hospitalized and four cars were
derailed after a moving Tacoma Rail train crashed into a BNSF train that was idling
on the same tracks on the morning of Sept. 3.
The crash happened around 7 am near Lincoln Avenue and Port of
Tacoma Road. An inbound BNSF train loaded with containers of general freight was
idle on the track when it was struck by a Tacoma Rail train, according to a BNSF
spokesman.
According to Tacoma Rail, the train was traveling at under 10
MPH when the incident occurred.
Tacoma Rail spokesman Chris Gleason said the Tacoma train was
making an attempt to couple with the BNSF train when it accidentally collided with
the train instead. The Tacoma Rail train operator was taken to a local hospital
but was soon released; the BNSF driver was not hurt.
No cargo spilled and equipment was brought in to place the four
derailed Tacoma Rail cars back on track. The rail line, which is used by an estimated
50 trains a day, was not affected by the accident, according to both companies,
but a section of road in the area was temporarily closed by police.
