MOBILE, Ala. — The driver of a vehicle was killed Wednesday when an Amtrak train performing crew-qualification runs for the upcoming launch of Gulf Coast service struck his car at a Mobile grade crossing.
The vehicle caught fire in the collision, damaging the front of one of the locomotives.
Police say they believe the driver, identified by authorities as 28-year-old Chadwick Timmons, drove around crossing gates in an effort to beat the train. WPMI-TV quotes a witness that confirms that belief: “He was trying to beat the train … the [crossing-gate] arms were down and he was in between them.”
There were no injuries on board the train.
The crew qualification runs began in February. At the same time, Amtrak, Operation Lifesaver, the Southern Rail Commission, and local authorities launched an education and safety campaign to inform the public about the presence of passenger trains on the route [see “Amtrak to begin crew qualification runs …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 6, 2023].
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