Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Hero teacher on first ever Amtrak trip helps rescue passengers in Missouri derailment: ‘It was chaos’

‘Once it went over, it was one of those, you think, I can’t believe this is actually happening ... People were bleeding. People were banged up’

Josh Marcus
San Francisco
Tuesday 28 June 2022 02:05 BST
Comments
Train carrying 243 passengers derails near Kansas City, Missouri

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

For Jason Drinkard and his students, passengers aboard a packed Amtrak train that derailed in Missouri on Monday, the day started off with a buzz of excitement.

The social studies teacher and his wife Amanda were taking a group of six students from Pleasant Ridge High School in Easton, Kansas, to Chicago to attend and compete in the Future Business Leaders of America’s three-day National Leadership Conference.

“My kids were super stoked about this,” he told The Independent. “As they got closer and closer, you could feel the excitement building. We were talking about what restaurants we were gonna go to, what sights we were going to see.”

Some of the students had been preparing for months for the business and entrepreneurship focused competition. For almost everyone in the group, it was their first time on the Amtrak.

The train was packed because it had arrived in Kansas City late, causing some travellers to stay on for extra time as they tried to catch a connection in Chicago. That meant Mr Drinkard and his students had to spread across two cars.

Jason Drinkard (right, wearing baseball cap) was taking a group of Kansas high school students to Chicago for a business competition when their Amtrak train derailed.
Jason Drinkard (right, wearing baseball cap) was taking a group of Kansas high school students to Chicago for a business competition when their Amtrak train derailed. (Amanda Diehl Drinkard)

Then he heard the jolt.

“I looked out the left window and you just see this cloud of brown dust,” he said. “The next thing you know, you feel the car start tipping. Once it went over, it was one of those, you think, I can’t believe this is actually happening. For me everything was just in slow motion until it came to a rest.”

According to Amtrak officials, the train hit a dump truck on the tracks near the rural town of Mendon, Missouri, killing three people and injuring 50.

As the flipped rail cars ground to a halt, Mr Drinkard first checked on his wife, who was battered up but not grievously injured, then immediately began thinking about his students. He said the air was thick with fumes and the smell of hot metal, and he worried the train might catch fire or explode.

“It was just chaos,” he continued. “People were bleeding. People were banged up.”

High school teacher Jason Drinkard said he could smell fumes and burning metal when the train crashed.
High school teacher Jason Drinkard said he could smell fumes and burning metal when the train crashed. (Amanda Diehl Drinkard)

The social studies teacher had spent time in the National Guard and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and his training quickly kicked in. Once Amanda and his students climbed out of the overturned train through open windows, he began using his basic first aid skills to try and patch people up.

As he did so, someone called out from the train that there were people inside still bleeding, so he threw the supplies to them and set about helping elderly people move away from the derailment site towards emergency officials.

Three people were killed and 50 were injured in the derailment.
Three people were killed and 50 were injured in the derailment. (Amanda Diehl Drinkard)

As first responders, including Missouri Highway Patrol troopers, converged on the scene, the roughly 243 passengers were taken to a local high school to recuperate, where Mr Drinkard says local residents made a “tremendous” effort, bringing in food and other supplies.

The group will no longer be heading to Chicago for the competition, but that’s fine for the teacher. He’s just glad things weren’t worse.

“I can’t fault Amtrak. It wasn’t like it was an issue with the tracks or anything. It was the fact that they hit a car that was trying to cross the tracks,” he said.

As shocked passengers return home, the Federal Railroad Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will now investigate the derailment, Amtrak’s second in two days, after a derailment in California killed three.

It will be a while, however, before Jason Drinkard takes another long train ride.

“At some point in time I probably will, but it won’t be any time soon.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in