(October 29, 2026 – Gardner, Kansas)
A man was left injured after his vehicle was struck by a BNSF Railway train on Thursday morning. The catastrophic collision occurred in Gardner, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb, at the crossing situated on South Moonlight Road, just off East Main Street/Highway 56.
At approximately 10:30 a.m., responders arrived at the scene of the crash between a white SUV and a BNSF train. The driver of the SUV has been identified as man in his mid-30s, though his name has not been released. The vehicle was left with extensive damage, and the man sustained serious injuries. The victim was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. The circumstances leading up to the collision remain unclear.
Per records from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Moonlight Road crossing is identified as DOT Crossing Number 006162X and is exclusively owned by and operated on by BNSF Railway. It is a public at-grade double mainline crossing that sees a daily average of 58 day and night trains, traveling at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. The Moonlight Road crossing is equipped with four-quadrant gates, lights, and bells. It is unclear if the lights and gates were activated at the time of the collision.
The Moonlight Road crossing poses several dangers to motorists, as attested to by its seven prior collisions. Given its location on a six-lane roadway and immediately adjacent to another heavily traffic six-lane road, traversing the Moonlight Road Crossing is a particularly complex driving task, as a motorist’s attention is divided between the busy, multi-lane intersection; safely maneuvering over the crossing, including ensuring that one does not get stuck crammed on the tracks; and maintaining a lookout for oncoming trains. The driving task is further complicated by the high-speed and high-frequency train operations, as well as the lack of horn-sounding at the crossing.
The Gardner Police Department is continuing its investigation of the collision.