Grand Coulee man killed by train
Herald Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 9 months AGO
The Washington State Patrol is investigating the cause of a collision between a train and an SUV at Third Avenue Southwest in Ephrata Tuesday morning, above. The driver of the vehicle died at the scene. The train, right, sustained minor damage. Crews were inspecting cargo for damage throughout the afternoon. The train crossing was closed until later in the day.
The Washington State Patrol is investigating the cause of a collision between a train and an SUV at Third Avenue Southwest in Ephrata Tuesday morning, above. The driver of the vehicle died at the scene. The train sustained minor damage. Crews were inspecting cargo for damage throughout the afternoon. The train crossing was closed until later in the day.
EPHRATA - An 81-year-old Grand Coulee man died when his vehicle was struck at an Ephrata crossing by a westbound freight train.
William Hertenstein was reportedly driving a 2007 Jeep Cherokee that stopped on the tracks at Third Avenue Southwest and Division Avenue Tuesday morning at about 9 a.m.
The train struck the vehicle, which bounced off of a railroad signal housing and ended on the side of the tracks, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Officials were investigating how the vehicle stopped on the tracks at a crossing with operable gates, flashers and bells, according to Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas.
No members of the train crew were injured, while there was some damage to the lead locomotive. Melonas said crews spent Tuesday afternoon inspecting cargo for damage.
Approximately 20 trains a day travel the rail line. It is the main route between Spokane and the Puget Sound region. The collision reportedly delayed five other trains on the BNSF line.
The train involved in the collision was headed from St. Paul, Minn. to Tacoma and was not transporting any hazardous materials, Melonas said.
He did not know how fast the train was travelling at the time of impact, although freight trains in the Ephrata corridor are generally allowed to travel up to 60 mph, according to Kathy Hunter, deputy assistant director of transportation safety for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC).
The WUTC is the agency with authority to set speed limits on most railroad tracks throughout the state, except where unique local safety conditions exist.
Hunter clarified there may be an order in place for lower speeds within the Ephrata city limits and she did not know the speed of the train that collided with Hertenstein's vehicle.
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