Train accident in Yukon kills one

Tuesday, March 7th 2006, 11:52 am

By: News On 6

YUKON, Okla. (AP) -- A Union Pacific freight train hauling gravel plowed into a dump truck on a railroad crossing Tuesday morning, killing the driver of the truck and injuring three people in the trains' lead locomotive, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

The crash at about 10 AM caused the train's two locomotive and 37 cars of its cars to derail, said railroad spokesman Mark Davis.

One of those injured was taken to a hospital by helicopter and the other two were transported by ambulance, Highway Patrol Lt. Pete Norwood said. Davis said the train's engineer had chest injuries and the other two had cuts and bruises.

The crash occurred in a rural area near Oklahoma 66, a major route in the area. There were no crossing gates or red lights at the railroad crossing.

Train cars were lying on their sides and gravel littered the area after the accident.

"It looks like you played toy trains and mangled them up," Norwood said. "We've got a giant mess out here."

Some diesel fuel also spilled from the locomotives in the accident, Davis said.

The 47-car train was on its way from Chickasha to Lacy when the accident occurred.