Dateline: May 30, 2002

BNSF train collision kills one, injures three 

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Emergency personnel carry a train crewmember to a waiting ambulance following a head-on collision near Clarendon which killed one person. Enterprise Digital Photo

Gayln Shelby, age 61, of Lubbock was killed Tuesday morning when two Burlington Northern-Santa Fe trains collided west of Clarendon, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Bruce Patterson, 57; Rodney Torres, 34; and Ronald Gordon, 51; were also injured in the accident, according to DPS Trooper Chad Simpson. All three men were from Amarillo, and they, along with Shelby, were members of the train crews.

The accident happened when an eastbound coal train collided head-on with a westbound freight train shortly before 9 a.m. A manifest of the freight train was not available at press time.

Local emergency crews worked to free one member of the train crew. The three survivors were transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo.

 “I’m constantly amazed at the ability of our local firemen and EMS,” said DPS Trooper Chad Simpson. “They really work together.”  

All four men jumped from the train just before impact, Simpson said.

Fire departments from surrounding towns rushed to the scene to assist local firefighters in containing the blaze. Firemen kept the train engines doused with water in an effort to calm flames fueled by diesel. Chemical foam was brought in from Pampa, Canyon, and Abilene to help extinguish the fire.

The fire appeared to be contained to engines. A plume of black smoke could be seen for more than 20 miles away, and US 287 was reduced to two lanes with westbound traffic being moved to one of the eastbound lanes.

Officials on the scene said they did not know what had happened to cause two trains to be on one track.