(September 16, 2026 – Old Monroe, Missouri)
A 59-year-old man was injured after the vehicle he was driving was struck by a BNSF train last Wednesday afternoon. The collision occurred north of Old Monroe, MO, just off of Highway 79 and across from Wehde Lane, at the entrance of Kimaterials, Inc.
The identity of the victim has not been released, though authorities have confirmed that he is a 59-year-old from St. Louis, MO. The man was driving a 2020 Volvo VHD dump truck with a Mighty Quinn Hauling, LLC, emblem on it, eastbound across the railroad crossing when a southbound BNSF train struck the driver’s side. The driver was transported to Mercy Hospital St. Louis by ambulance with injuries. The dump truck was totaled and had to be carefully removed from the scene. The BNSF locomotive also sustained significant damage but did not have to be removed from the tracks.
The railroad-highway grade crossing is labeled as a private crossing owned and operated by BNSF. According to BNSF-submitted records, the crossing has a daily average of 7 day and night freight trains, which travel at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. The crossing is not equipped with any active warning devices, such as lights and gates. The lack of active warning devices at the crossing and the intersection’s proximity to Highway 79 may create a dangerous driving task for motorists, as they must watch for oncoming train traffic while turning off a high-speed roadway with a posted speed limit of 60 miles per hour. The crossing's hazardous conditions have resulted in six prior collisions.
The collision occurred just a few days before an 18-car train derailment in nearby Ferguson, MO.