(Mineral Springs, North Carolina – May 24, 2011)

For the second time in little more than a month, a major American railroad has been involved in a deadly rear-end collision between two freight trains.  This time, two CSX Railroad trains were involved early this morning (Tuesday) near Mineral Springs, NC.  (On April 17, two Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains collided in southern Iowa near Red Oak, killing two employees). 

A 12-car CSX train pulled by two locomotives was run into by a nine-car CSX train, also with two locomotives.  The accident resulted in the deaths of the two employees on the following train which was bound for Hamlet, NC.  The two employees on the first train also suffered injuries.  The second train caught fire, and potentially toxic smoke necessitated the evacuation of all residents within a half-mile of the derailment site as well as the closure of Highway 75.