WASHINGTON — A Kansas City Southern conductor killed in a December 2020 accident in Tupelo, Miss., fell in front of the train during switching because of unexpected slack action, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined in its final report.
The report says that during a shoving move in the Tupelo yard on Dec. 23, 2020, the conductor may have been in an unstable position as he held a vertical handrail on a tank car while operating his handheld radio. Slack action from a reduction in train speed by about 3 mph in 3 seconds, if unexpected, could have caused the conductor to fall.
After the fall, the conductor was able to communicate by radio that he had been injured; Tupelo Fire Department responders arrived within 10 minutes after a 911 call and transported the conductor to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Immediately after the accident, KCS issued a safety alert to employees reiterating rules regarding safety while switching, and directed supervisors to thoroughly review those rules.
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