South Dakota Truck Driver Killed by Genesee & Wyoming Subsidiary Freight Train
(Miller, South Dakota – May 29, 2025)
A semi-truck driver was killed this morning after their vehicle was struck by a Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCPE) freight train. RCPE is owned by Genesee & Wyoming, a multinational railroad conglomerate. The collision occurred on 364th Avenue a few miles east of Miller, South Dakota.
According to the local sheriff’s office, the semi with an empty trailer was traveling north on 364th Avenue when it crossed railroad tracks and was struck by a train carrying five cars of grain. The railroad reports that a daily average of four trains traverse this crossing at a typical speed of 40 mph.
According to railroad submitted federal records, the crossing is not equipped with any active warning devices, such as lights and gates. It is virtually certain that the addition of lights and gates could have prevented this tragedy. The Genessee & Wyoming and Operation Lifesaver know that the installation of lights and gates at these unprotected crossings saves lives. 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 sheriff’s office is continuing its investigation of this collision.
