Multiple People Seriously Injured in Colorado After Amtrak Train Derails from Collision with Tractor Trailer at Unguarded BNSF Crossing
(Denver, Colorado – January 30, 2024)
Several passengers and Amtrak employees were injured after an Amtrak train struck a tractor-trailer at a crossing in Weld County, Colorado. The Amtrak train subsequently derailed due to the force of impact. According to Amtrak, sixty-nine passengers were onboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr train heading toward Chicago when the collision occurred.
According to Colorado State Police, the tractor-trailer involved in the collision was carrying 10,000 gallons of milk for the Dairy Farmers of America and headed northbound on Weld County Road 63 when it encountered the sign only BNSF railroad crossing. Numerous individuals were taken to local hospitals with various injuries, including the Amtrak engineer, who was life-flighted to Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital.
The crossing where this collision occurred is not equipped with any active warning devices, such as lights and gates. BNSF and Operation Lifesaver know that the installation of lights and gates at these unprotected crossings saves lives. It is virtually certain that the addition of lights and gates could have prevented this tragedy. Studies that have been conducted over fifty years ago confirm that lights and gates offer the ability to drastically reduce the number of vehicle/train collisions by as much as 96%.
The Colorado State Police are still investigating this collision.
