Semi-truck driver dies in Colorado coal train derailment
At least ten coal train cars reportedly slid off the tracks and over the side of a bridge
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Your support makes all the difference.A semi-truck driver has been killed after a coal train derailed off a bridge and onto a roadway in Colorado.
The tragedy unfolded near Pueblo, 100 miles south of Denver, on Sunday afternoon, according to Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency services rushed to the scene where at least ten train cars had reportedly slid off the tracks and over the side of a bridge.
Footage from the site shows damage to the rail crossing and the bridge’s metal siding.
It remains unclear what led to the derailment of the train.
A semi-truck driver was trapped in the wreckage, before they were later confirmed to have died.
State patrol spokesperson Gary Cutler provided no other details about the victim.
The interstate was closed for 12 miles from Exit 100B in Pueblo towards northward to Exit 110 following the incident, according to the transport department.
“This will be an extended closure. Drivers heading between Pueblo and Colorado Springs must detour,” a statement read.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Sunday night it was investigating the cause of the derailment.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement he had been in contact with Colorado Governor Jared Polis about the incident.
“State & local authorities are leading the immediate emergency response, and we will be ready to help in any way needed to support a swift return to normal use for the highway and rail routes affected,” Mr Buttigieg said in a post on X.
US Department of Transportation staff were en route to the scene Sunday night.
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