Two trains collide, overpass collapses in Scott County

ROCKVIEW -- At least seven people were reported injured following a Saturday morning train collision that collapsed a roadway overpass.

According to the Scott County Sheriff's Department, the collision occurred at 2:30 a.m. Saturday when a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train collided with a Union Pacific train north of Chaffee in Rockview. Clay Slipis, dispatcher with the Sheriff's Department, said when the trains collided, it caused the Route M overpass to collapse.

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said the three engines and about 14 cars of a southbound Burlington Northern train had cleared the intersection when it was struck by the westbound Union Pacific train. When the trains collided, the impact damaged columns which held the bridge, causing the bridge to collapse.

"There were actually two vehicles crossing the bridge at the time," Walter said. The vehicles went off the bridge, injuring three people in one vehicle and two others in the second vehicle.

For the rest of this article and more, see Sunday's Standard Democrat or log on to the electronic edition.