Train, dump truck collide at Ohio crossing; conductor killed

CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — A train and a dump truck collided early Tuesday in Cleveland, killing the train conductor as he stood on the outside of a car, authorities said.

The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. when the dump truck — which was carrying a full load of limestone — approached a stop sign at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works steel plant, Cleveland police said in a written statement. The truck, which had stopped, moved forward and hit the front left side of the train as it moved through a crossing, police said.

The 46-year-old conductor, who was standing on that side, was struck in the collision and pronounced dead at the scene a short time later, authorities said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision, which comes just weeks after a fiery train derailment on Feb. 3 outside East Palestine, Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border.

Half of the town of about 5,000 people had to evacuate for days when responders intentionally burned toxic chemicals in some of the derailed cars to prevent an uncontrolled explosion, leaving residents with lingering health concerns. Government officials say tests haven’t found dangerous levels of chemicals in the air or water in the area. The derailment also highlighted the potentially disastrous consequences of train crashes and raised questions about railroad safety.

On Saturday afternoon, 28 cars of a Norfolk Southern cargo train derailed in Ohio between Dayton and Columbus and prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order, but officials said the derailment did not involve any hazardous materials, although the 212-car train also had cars containing liquid propane and ethanol that didn’t derail.