Two construction workers in West
Des Moines were injured earlier this week when they were knocked off their boom
truck after it was hit by an oncoming freight train. The two men were working
on the I-35 widening project near Grand Avenue at the time of the accident.
Authorities say that one man was
wedged under a bridge and managed to hang on after the accident, only suffering
minor injuries. Though he was safe, emergency responders say it took more than
an hour to rescue the man given how delicate a process it can be to extract
someone from such a dangerous situation. The other man was not as fortunate and
was thrown nearly 200 feet from the boom and had to be hospitalized for his
serious injuries.
Police officers say the accident
happened on train tracks near I-35 around 1:20 p.m. The two men were employees
of United Contractors, Inc. and were in the passenger bucket of the boom lift’s
arm when an oncoming train hit it. Witnesses say that the boom lift was raised
at the time so the workers could work on the new bridge at I-35. An Iowa
Interstate Railroad train, which was coming from the west, struck the truck
that was holding the boom lift, sending both men falling.
Officials with Iowa Interstate
Railroad say they are investigating the accident and are trying to determine
how the train could have struck the truck in the first place. Emergency
responders are waiting to see whether the National Transportation Safety Board
will become involved, something that happens if damages exceed a certain limit.
The accident is yet another clear
indication of the dangers that exist when humans find themselves near railroad
tracks. Though officials have not yet revealed whether the boom truck was
properly placed prior to the crash, the case serves as an example of why it is
crucial for workers to be especially cautious when near train tracks.
Even if the boom truck was not
parked on the track itself, it’s quite possible that it could still have been
clipped by the train. How’s that? According to rail industry experts, trains
can extend as much as three feet outside the steel rail of the track with some
tankers taking up even more space. That’s why when a person is around a
railroad track it is important to leave a wide gap between yourself and the
rail, realizing that the train is actually wider than the track it sits on.
Source: “Iowa
workers get thrown from boom lift in accident,”
by The Associated Press, published at TimesRepublican.com.
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