• 25
  • July
    2011

Friday, June 24, 2011: For the estimated 194 passengers on board an Amtrak train that journeyed from Chicago to Emeryville, and the 14 crewmembers on hand to perform the daily customer service and engineering tasks, the Amtrak train ride seemed a standard run.

At roughly 11:25 a.m. near a secluded crossing between Fallon and Lovelock, a driver from John Davis Trucking missed his cue and the Amtrak run suddenly turned ugly when the semi-truck ran into the passenger train.

The truck driver had time to realize his error. He slammed down on the brakes. The big rig skidded 320 feet, but failed to stop before impact. Six people, including the truck driver, died when the commercial truck collided with Amtrak's California Zephyr.

In all, over twenty people were transported to local area hospitals. The injuries ranged from minor abrasions and lacerations to blunt trauma and internal organ injuries. No one can measure the depth of associated personal suffering, fear and emotional turmoil that accompanies such an event.

Was This Amtrak Collision Avoidable?

What were the passengers thinking as that Zephyr rumbled along the rails? Perhaps some were reading, maybe drinking coffee, or even chatting with other passengers. A few may have been napping. Others may have been working on business details. Most of us live with the expectation that we are safe when traveling, whether by train, truck or automobile. Few of us live with the expectation that a motor vehicle accident that may cause catastrophic injury or death is only 320 feet away.

According to online safety records, John Davis Trucking has been cited for 17 maintenance violations within the past 24 months. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also lists John Davis Trucking with two violations for unsafe driving in the past 24 months. Four of the 17 maintenance violations pertain to faulty braking systems on company-owned trucks. Two other citations relate to worn tires.

A full investigation of the truck-train collision may take as much as a year. Earl Weener from the National Transportation Safety Board states that the traffic signals were functioning correctly and that the driver should have had a half-mile of advance warning.

Source: Trucking firm in Amtrak crash has 17 maintenance violations in two years