Newton County, Missouri — Around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, reports of a train hitting a dump truck at a private rail crossing, 1/2 mile south of MM and Lime Kiln. Doctor notified Newton County Central Communications.
Diamond Fire Department, Newton County Deputies, and Newton County Ambulance responded. Missouri State Highway Patrol was notified. Neosho Fire reacted as mutual aid.
The incident occurred near the Dalby siding, about 4 miles north of Neosho in the Diamond Fire Protection District.
Trooper Sam Carpenter reports that a dump truck was heading west on a dirt lane that crossed the CPKC rails when it was struck by a train. There was only one cross buck at the crossing. No lights or arms.
The male driver was flung from the car as the cab separated from the chassis. The dump bucket held huge rocks.
The train was hauling crude oil tankers, and due to the possibility of fire, it was unhooked to provide a 1/4 mile gap on either side of the disaster.
Newton County Ambulance carried a 62-year-old male motorist from Joplin, Missouri, with Priority 1 trauma to a Joplin hospital. We learn later that he was pronounced dead at Freeman West.
Nobody aboard the train was injured.
“Crash occurred as [Peterbilt Dump Truck] was westbound near Lime Kiln Road on a private road. [Peterbilt] traveled onto the railroad track into the path of the [train] and was struck in the side by the [train]. The crossing is marked with a stop sign and railroad crossing sign.”
– Cpl B.D. Vaught of Troop D
The track was halted for roughly 120 minutes while Metro Towing cleaned the boulders and removed the dump truck and debris.