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Train Spotted in Rural Ohio, Suspected to Be a Runaway
Aired May 15, 2001 - 14:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: Another story that we are watching closely right now is a train, a runaway train, it's being called, between Toledo and Columbus. It has hazardous materials on board, and apparently, an engineer who's had a heart attack and is incapable of manning the train.
We have on the line Sergeant Major Mike Blair of the Wood County Sheriff's Department. What do you know about this situation, Sergeant Major Blair?
SGT. MAJ. MIKE BLAIR, WOOD COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT: Good afternoon. We received a call from a railroad at approximately 12:30 p.m. Eastern time of a southbound train through our county. They were having no success of contacting the engineer and we're concerned, as you stated, that it may be a runaway.
We have a village in the northern part -- Dunbridge, Ohio has a rather substantial curve to it, obviously needed some braking. They were concerned about a possible derailment at that point. We were able to get out and evacuate the area, and thankfully, the train made it through and continued southbound throughout our county without incident.
WATERS: What do you do about something like this?
BLAIR: Well, our concerns basically are for the population near the tracks. Being a rather rural area, cultural county, we have a number of grain silos and the tracks tend to run through a number of villages along the way. So, our first attempt is to try to block as many crossings and evacuate as many houses near the tracks as possible in case of a derailment.
WATERS: Do you know what those hazardous materials are on board?
BLAIR: Hazardous, I was not aware of. I did hear there would be some maybe flammable materials, although flammable is hazardous.
WATERS: I imagine there's some plan in the words for getting someone on board this train. How would that be implemented?
BLAIR: There was some talk of that as it came through our county. I did not hear any details. I also believe they attempted a forced derailment by the railroad themselves that was unsuccessful in our county. WATERS: We've been hearing the train is going about 20 miles an hour. We've seen another report that they don't know how fast the train is going. Do you have any line on that?
BLAIR: I cannot confirm, but I believe one of our deputies, using a radar clock, clocked it at 42 miles an hour as it came through our county.
WATERS: Wow, that's a good clip.
BLAIR: That's a very good clip for a locomotive. Yes.
WATERS: So, so far, so good.
BLAIR: Yes. As I say, it's cleared our county -- Wood County -- and then is headed southbound, as you said, towards Columbus, would be in Hancock County which is Findlay, Ohio, if not through that county by now.
WATERS: All right, thanks for helping us out with the story, Sergeant Major Mike Blair, Wood County Sheriff's Department on that runaway train. We will keep you up to speed on the story.
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