KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Passenger rail provider Amtrak and BNSF Railway Company have filed a federal lawsuit blaming the contracting company that owns the dump truck the train collided with on Monday of causing the crash that killed four people, including the truck driver, near Mendon, Missouri.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges MS Contracting, based in Brookfield, Missouri, is ultimately responsible for the crash, saying truck driver Billy Barton II crossed the railroad tracks in a manner that was “unsafe, careless and reckless.” It further alleges the company failed to properly maintain its trucking equipment or properly train its employees, including Barton.
A call placed to the contracting company’s listed phone number was not answered Thursday. Lawyers representing Amtrak and BNSF did not immediately reply to a message from The Star seeking comment.
