Photos show mangled metal tangles after a freight train plows into an ATV in Missouri
A BNSF freight train traveling through Mendon, Missouri, Monday morning crashed into an ATV that was stuck on the track, causing a fiery and mangled mess.
Missouri State Police said the incident occurred around 8:40 a.m. where the tracks crossed Mike Road, north of Mendon in Cheriton County.
According to police, there were no reported injuries and the cargo was not damaged.
Police added that as photos show, the train’s locomotive was partially damaged while the ATV was significantly damaged.
In fact, images released by police showed black soot covering the front of the engine and a mangled metal ball in front of the train, its wheel hubs and roll bar barely intact.
The BNSF train was traveling on shared tracks with Amtrak, and possible delays were expected Monday due to the accident.
The accident occurred on the same stretch of rail through Mendon where a fatal train crash occurred just over a year ago.
In June 2022, an Amtrak train crashed into a dump truck before the locomotive tipped onto its side, killing four people and injuring more than 140 others.
The derailment occurred just before 12:45 p.m. and the train was traveling from Los Angeles, California to Chicago, Illinois.
A dump truck carrying materials to a nearby Army Corps of Engineers project was struck from behind by the train, damaging two locomotives, six rail cars and separate rail cars for a cafe and luggage.
The accident occurred at a passive crossing, where, like an active crossing, there were no gates, bells and warning lights. Instead, there was a stop sign at the intersection.
Over the years, the NTSB has recommended closing certain intersections or switching from passive to active.
In 1998, the agency made recommendations on technology that could alert drivers to the presence of a train as they approach a railroad crossing.
FOX 4 in Kansas City said after the Amtrak crash, state lawmakers approved $50 million in state funding to make upgrades to railroad crossings.
The station added that the Missouri Department of Transportation plans to close or upgrade 47 passive public railroad crossings across the state.
