Truck co. in Amtrak train crash had citations

SPARKS, Nev. - A Nevada trucking company under scrutiny for a fiery crash with an Amtrak train that left at least six dead has been cited repeatedly by state authorities for crashes, unsafe driving and operating a truck with tires so bald the vehicle had to be taken off the road.

A man working for John Davis Trucking Co., of Battle Mountain, Nev., drove a truck through a crossing gate's housing unit and into two of the train's double-decker cars Friday, killing him and five people on the train.

Federal records reviewed by The Associated Press on Sunday showed the state Department of Public Safety cited the company for two crashes in the last two years, including one in February 2010 that injured a person in Washoe County.

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In a January inspection, authorities found tires on one company tractor-trailer so bald they deemed the rig an imminent hazard to public safety.

National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener told reporters Sunday night that it was difficult to say whether the company's record was significant or atypical in the industry.

Meanwhile, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham told the AP that five passengers who were on the train's manifest of more than 200 people remained unaccounted for after the crash.

More than two dozen people were sought a day earlier, but Weener said some of them may have gotten off the train before the crash or walked away from the scene without checking with officials.

"This is not quite like you are used to when you get on an airplane. They record exactly who gets on, and what seat they sit in," he said. "On a train, you can get off without necessarily being tracked."

The truck driver, a conductor and four others on the train were killed in the wreck in which a semi-trailer truck slammed into two passenger cars 70 miles east of Reno.

Churchill County coroner officials sifted through the rubble of the rail cars gutted by the fire, and investigators said they found no additional victims Sunday.

At least one forensic anthropologist has been asked to assist, said Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Chuck Allen.

"I think it was so hot that they want to make sure they are not missing anything," Allen told the AP. "They want to figure out if there are any more bodies and if so, how many. They want to rule out the possibility that, yes there are more, or that no, there are not."

Investigators also looked for clues as to why the truck driver plowed through the railroad crossing, but Weener said examining the truck tractor has been difficult because part of it remained stuck in a rail car.

It's expected to take up to a year to pinpoint the cause of the crash.

"Just from handling or being on the scene of so many accidents, there are so many alternatives to consider," Allen said.

"Not necessarily just drugs or alcohol, but fatigue, driver inattention," Allen said. "Did he have a (citizen band radio)? Was he talking to his buddies behind him? If so, was he looking in the side-view mirror and not looking at the road ahead? I don't think we'll ever know for sure."

Autopsies on the victims were expected within the next few days, with toxicology test results on the truck diver due a few days after that.

Weener said that the flashing lights at the crossing, which are set to blink for 25 seconds before a train approaches, would have been visible from a half-mile away if a motorist was driving at the highway's 70-mph speed limit.

More than two days after the accident, a variety of factors remained unknown, including how fast the driver, whose name has not been released, might have been going as he approached the tracks from the south, Weener said.

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[Red_Dragon_Hawk]

stupid was not offered as a reason....3 truck convoy...hmm ill bet the boys had bets rideing on who would get there first

[raeraesd]

I was in an Amtrak crash in Oxnard CA when a Asphault Tree Trimming Truck ran the tracks & we hit it dead on....the breaks on a train do not work the same as a car...you cannot stop a train!
The conductor jumped out of his box and said get down...next thing I knew I felt a crash and could feel us rolling before I blacked out. Motorist said that the frst car that we were in flew into the air boomaranging to the back of the last car and then rolled 20 ' in a kale field. The 2 cars behind us derailed. Luckily no one died. We only had 5 people in the first car which I think is the only reason no one died. We were all hurt and were thrown around like rag dolls instant black and purple brusies.

It was scary and chaotic. Especially when paramedics come on scene and treat it as a triage scene and separate you from your family/friends when your in a weird city....

I can only imagine in this instance a full car of people who unknowingly were put slammed into and the chaos...my heart goes out to all the passengers and their families. This is exactly why I will not step foot on a train again!

[TheManitou]

Raerraesd-- ((Hugs)) I'll share my story with you sometime. I still have nightmares! Until then, please, check out our memorial site. http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/pages/Amtrak-California-Zephyr-Memorial-Page-Reno-Nevada-Wreck-June-24-2011/111261422300095

[ke6gwf]

That company has fewer citations than many, it does not seem excessive, but then we aren't told how many trucks and drivers they have. If it is a 3 truck company, then it is terribly high. If it is a 20 truck company, then it is the normal range. The area that they drive in also has an effect, what are the conditions of the road and how do the other people on the road drive?

I have been in trucking for a few years now, and spent quite a bit of that time inspecting and repairing trucks, which meant I worked directly with the DOT/CHP officers that inspect fleets every year or 2, so I am pretty familiar with the rules and regs and safety requirements of both the mechanical and the drivers.

I don't see anything in the article that shows that the company should be shut down, but again that depends on the size of the company, as well as what the inspection of the truck shows. (if the brakes on one of the trailers wasn't working and the mechanic let it go anyway, for instance)

As far as the oddly worded bald tires, there is 1/32" of an inch difference between a legal tire and a "bald" tire that puts the truck "Out Of Service" automatically.
Just as your car tires have wear bars, and when the wear reaches them it is time to replace the tire, so truck tread depth is measured, and it only takes one tire out of the ~30 that rig had to be slightly below that point to be considered "OOS", which means it is taken off the road because it is considered a hazard.

After the facts come in, it may turn out this company is greedy and reckless and deserves to be shut down and the owners charged for the deaths of 6 people, but it could also turn out that the crossing gates didn't go down correctly or the driver had a heart attack or any number of other possibilities.

[retiredgustav]

Now the company will file for bankruptcy to avoid any and all lawsuits.

[alaskanpoet]

The facts are just coming in and a rush to judgment is premature
At first glance the trucking company had past violations to cure
Usually the gates come down when the train is miles away
To go around a down gate is the biggest and most foolish fire to play
Trucks sadly do not have black boxes of data stored
And the driver sadly too has gone to his heavenly or hellish reward
To find out the cause may take up to a year
Hope that future train travel is not shunned due to fear
The Zephyr is one pleasant and most very scenic train
From the coast through the mountains and endless waves of grain
Meals while not 5 star are so far above airline cuisine
Time for casual dinner conversation while you take in the scenes
Usually the most exciting thing after sceninc oohs and ahs
Are the dozens along the river that believe mooning is part of the natural law.
Life is always precious whether on a flight or just walking across the street
Live it to the max so no regret when it's time for the Dark Boatman to greet

[rwsmith29456]

What good does it do to point this out. Is anybody going to change the companies reputation. No, they will just be fined and something bigger will happen in the news and it will be forgotten. Until next time an accident causes people to yell, 'unsafe'!

[ajax88]

Not only fined, they need to be shut down, if for no other reason to send a message... Don't get me wrong, I am not naive enough to believe it would happen, but it should... Same goes for those companies who pollute or knowingly hire illegal aliens... Shut them down, and take away their right to do business.

[vincentbill]

Sensationalism of the worst kind. *ANY* trucking company is going to have some citations, (if you have a company like that, there's virtually no way to avoid getting nailed for SOMETHING once in a while) and from what I can learn, they didn't have very many. They're just slinging up whatever they can find that they think makes a sensational story. SHAME on you CBS and AP.

[usofcredit]

WARNING-WARNING
Media starting something out of nothing and distorting facts alert
(1) 2 tickets in two years
That's not bad for one person, little alone a COMPANY!
(2)the bald tires, I don't see any indication that the truck was being driven. For all we know, they had a tire go flat in their yard and threw on a temporary tire before going to get it fixed. In fact, the way it's worded you can almost sense the reporter was being vague.

Don't be so gulible. The media gets off on painting companies as evil and wouldn't think twice about hiding certain facts to put together an article they know everyone will click on and get all upset about. They really are a bunch of ******.

[ajax88]

When a company has tallied up that many offenses, especially in a business where offenses can be life and death situations to innocent people, why was the company still operating? There business license should have already been revoked..

Ahh, but thats not the way we do things in the U.S.A...This is a business not a private citizen... If a private citizen were to have caused these deaths through irresponsible behaviour there would be prison time involved...

[ammo17]

this is what deregulation does,these accidents happen every day thru-out the country.construction trucks and busses are the real culprits.people die every day and nothing will be done to protect innocent people.whenever an innocent person dies you can thank jimmy carter for their deaths.