According to Gov. Jared Polis, the debris from Sunday’s deadly train derailment could take days.
The accident occurred after a train derailed after a rail bridge over a 65-year-old overpass collapsed onto a tractor-trailer, killing the driver , 60-year-old Lafollette Henderson, 60, of Compton, California.
“I am saddened that a life was lost in this train derailment and send my condolences to his family and loved ones. I have been briefed by CDOT and yesterday I spoke directly to Secretary Buttigieg and BNSF, the operator of the train,” Polis said in the statement.
According to CBS Denver “the semi was wedged beneath the bridge, which came down on the truck’s cab. Cracks could be seen on the concrete structure that supports the tracks. Digging went on into the night to try to determine if any other vehicles were buried beneath the coal.”
“We cannot begin our work to reopen the highway until the National Transportation Safety Board clears us to proceed and I urged Secretary Buttigieg to allow us to conduct debris removal as soon as possible. It is estimated that the debris removal phase could take as long as 48 hours, but I am ensuring that we are doing everything we can to complete it more quickly, including beginning preparations now so we can begin as soon as we are allowed to and save precious hours.”
The derailment was caused by a broken railing which are leading investigators on a manhunt to figure out why the rail broke and howcome the security systems didn’t alert crews on the track that it was broken.
“Our administration has been working for months to position Colorado to take advantage of the safety and rail investments that Congress and President Biden made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Polis said. “Sadly, those improvements come too late to prevent this incident but it’s clear that federal funds for rail support are critical for Colorado.”
