The Amtrak train which derailed upon collision with a dump truck in Missouri this week had been travelling at 87mph when it derailed, investigators have said.
In an update on Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigating the derailment said it had found the train was travelling at 87mph. Although the speed limit at the crossing is 90mph, the board did not say speed was a cause of the collision.
Moments before impact with a dump truck at a crossing in Mendon, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the train had blown its horn about a quarter mile (400 metres) from the collision site.
The train continued blowing its horn before colliding with the dump truck – the driver of which was killed along with three Amtrak passengers.
The coroner in Chariton County identified the deceased truck driver as 54-year-old Billy Barton II, of Brookfield, Missouri, on Wednesday.
The two train passengers who died at the scene were Rochelle Cook, 58, and Kim Holsapple, 56, both of DeSoto, Kansas. A third passenger, 82-year-old Binh Phan, of Kansas City, Missouri, died in hospital on Tuesday.
So far, the team of 16 NTSB investigators working at the collision site have found no issues with the train’s brakes or other mechanical issues, Ms Homendy added.
She meanwhile acknowledged that the railway crossing where the collision occurred had no lights or other signals to warn about an approaching train, and was described by Ms Homendy as “very steep”.
The NTSB chairwoman said residents had warned about the safety of the crossing before the collision, which 64-year-old Missouri farmer Mike Spencer told reporters earlier this week was “going to happen” because of the issues with the crossing.
The Southwest Chief was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago with about 275 passengers and 12 crew members on board with it crashed and derailed. About 150 people were taken to nearby hospitals, state highway patrol said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Amtrak said: “We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s tragic event and mourn those who lost their lives. For those who helped others, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation.”
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
