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Tuesday, 10 March 2015 08:20

No charges to be filed in collision

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A trooper walks by the wreckage. A trooper walks by the wreckage.

No criminal charges will be filed in an Amtrak collision Monday that left 55 passengers with non-life threatening injuries, the state Highway Patrol said.

Patrol spokesman Jeff Gordon said in a statement released early this morning the driver of the tractor-trailer the train collided with has been identified as John Devin Black of Claremont while the conductor of the Amtrak train has been identified as Keenan Talley of Raleigh.

Gordon in the statement reiterated comments he made Monday night on the circumstances leading to the collision that occurred around 12:15 p.m. at the rail crossing at the intersection of Highway 903 and Highway 301.

Troopers were escorting the oversized rig on Highway 903 in Halifax and a preliminary investigation has revealed Black attempted to negotiate a left turn at the intersection where a rail crossing is located.

Due to the trailer’s length, Black was unable to perform the left turn successfully onto Highway 301 north.

Gordon said the driver began to reposition the trailer by backing up in order to perform a wider turn. At that moment, the railroad crossing warning equipment was activated indicating an approaching Amtrak train.

Black attempted to pull forward but the trailer was struck by the approaching train.

The impact caused the front two train compartments to derail.

As result of the collision, 55 passengers were transported to Halifax Regional Medical Center.

The remaining 157 passengers were taken to the Halifax County Agricultural Building where they were eventually transported to their respective Amtrak destinations.

Federal and state authorities continue their investigation.

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