SUMMERS COUNTY, W.Va. – An already disastrous train derailment could have turned into tragedy without the teamwork of crews responding to the scene.
Early Wednesday morning, a CSX train that had left Newport News, Virginia on it’s way to Charleston, West Virginia. When they approached Summers County, West Virginia, a big boulder officials say was the size of a bus had fallen from the hillside onto the tracks.
The train hit the boulder and 22 coal cars and the four locomotives derailed from the tracks.
Bryan Tucker, the Vice-President of Corporate Communication at CSX, says the crew couldn’t have done anything.
So you can imagine the size of this Boulder they came upon very suddenly; no chance for them to stop and unfortunately that’s what really caused this derailment,” Tucker said.
Members of the Green Sulphur District Volunteer Fire and Rescue squad were the first ones on scene. Fire Chief Tom Scott and his crew’s station was not far from the incident but there was really no easy access to the derailment.
“I could see the glow in the sky. We came in, they got the first aid kit and two of them proceeded to hike up the tracks to the derailment,” Scott said.
When the first responders arrived, they started treating the three crew members on board who had non-life threatening injuries. However, they were all transported to a nearby hospital as a precaution. As of 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, one of the crew members was released and the other two were believed to make a full-recovery.
Luckily none of the 22 coal cars were filled. However, one of the locomotives did end up in the New River and started pouring diesel fuel into the river.
10 News reached out to several agencies closer to home about any potential impacts there could be to Southwest Virginia. So far many agencies are monitoring the situation but are not worried at this time.
Since CSX owns the railroad and 12 feet from the middle of the track to either side, they are responsible for the cleanup. The primary focus is to contain the area.
“So our priority right now is containment of the diesel fuel that has leaked from the locomotives. Thankfully the diesel that leaked from the locomotive that is in the river is being consumed by fire,” Tucker said.
Crews also set up boom containments along the river to try to trap and absorb the fuel that’s leaking into the river.
Tucker says he can’t thank enough all the people and organizations that responded, especially those from the local fire department who were the first ones to help out with the train crew.
“The folks here have been just phenomenal and we are fortunate. Of course you’re never fortunate when accident occurs like this but fortunate we’ve been able to count on the folks here in this community to help us out,” Tucker said.