Two Union Pacific employees were killed and three others were injured Wednesday after a train derailed in Pecos and ultimately crashed into the city’s Chamber of Commerce building, officials said.
The deadly derailment began about 5 p.m. after the train struck a tractor-trailer that was on the railroad tracks near Oak Street and Dot Stafford Street, Pecos City Manager Charles Lino said at a news conference hours after the crash.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Train Derailment Incident
A major accident has occurred involving a train derailment that has struck the Chamber of Commerce. Authorities are currently on the scene, gathering details and assessing the situation.
At this time, we ask the public to avoid the area for safety reasons. Media outlets are to stage at the Reeves County Courthouse located at 100 E 4th St, Town of Pecos City -, Texas.
Traffic Updates:
• Southbound Traffic on Highway 285 is being diverted to F Street and County Road 1216.
• Northbound Traffic on Highway 285 will experience closures on 3rd and 4th Streets.
We currently have no reports of injuries or casualties.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. Please stay tuned for further updates and follow any guidance from local authorities.Posted byon Wednesday, December 18, 2024
The people who died, one of whom was taken to an Odessa hospital in critical condition, have not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin.
Pecos police Chief Lisa Tarango confirmed Thursday the deceased were on the train as Union Pacific employees, and a statement from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen referred to the men as a conductor and engineer.
The three other victims were treated at Reeves Regional Health, officials said.
City officials say there is no immediate hazard to the public, but they asked the public to avoid the area, which is in the city’s downtown and primarily composed of businesses.
Videos posted to social media show the train sounding its horn before and as it crashes into the load the truck was carrying. Multiple people stopped at the railroad crossing watched the collision.
Photos show box cars from the train piled up and lying on and near the tracks.
Union Pacific, Pecos Police Department Texas Department of Public Safety, and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union said in a statement that the derailment is “a reminder that much more needs to be done to make railroading safer.”
Pecos is about a 430-mile drive from downtown Dallas. The city is in Reeves County and had a population of roughly 12,900 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.
