Volunteer saves the day with aid at West City derailment
Scott Dalton a Westra Construction superintendent stepped in at the Illinois 14 and Central Street derailment Friday delivering water sunscreen and meals to responders and volunteers. The Elizabethtown Kentucky native organized barricades and transport while sharing light moments with crews. Local businesses provided food and supplies including McDonalds Subway Big John Wal Mart and a semitrailer of water.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
West City
Scott Dalton
Dalton
Westra Construction
Illinois 14
Central Street
Diane Miller
Elizabethtown
McDonald’s
Subway
Big John Supermarket
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Wal-Mart
West City Shell
Wal- Mart
Mercer resident narrowly escapes derailment on I 57
Herrin resident describes a train derailment under a railroad underpass that showered black debris onto her car as wreckage struck the highway. She suffered no injuries though her 2001 Oldsmobile was damaged, and she feared future travel on I 57 after the 9:33 incident. Police and ambulances arrived quickly, and she and two other drivers pulled over to check on each other.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mercer
Webster’s Vending
Railroad Street
Benton
Residents use local knowledge to avoid delays
Franklin County faced detours after a mid morning train derailment on an overpass above Interstate 57. To bypass delays, locals used Deering Road known as the bottoms, connecting Horrell Street and McLeansboro Street near Benton high school. Traffic, mainly local residents, surged about tenfold with 35 cars observed in a one mile stretch.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Franklin County
North South Illinois
Deering Road
Horrell Street
West Frankfort
McLeansboro Street
Benton
Bill Hand
Gandy’s
Hand
Thompsonville
Witnesses recount train derailment near Interstate 57
Benton residents describe a loud crash as coal cars toppled off the track near I-57. John Wiggins, who lives nearby, called 911 and watched from an overpass as several cars blocked the road. Lana Sissom, on the north overpass, recalls seeing the cars tipping and a red truck with three people escaping.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Benton
John Wiggins
Wiggins
Lana
Sissom
Lissom
Derailment Across I57 Strains Southern Illinois Travel
A Friday derailment over Interstate 57 crippled regional traffic as thousands diverted to state routes and city streets in Benton and nearby towns. IDOT moved quickly detouring vehicles and preparing highways while workers cleared up to 800,000 tons of coal from the wreck. Canadian National Railway crews moved to the scene to lift derailed cars and begin cleanup, with investigation planned as soon as possible.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Aveet Jahinke
Southern Construction
Canadian National Railway Company
West City
Illinois
Benton
Illinois 37
South Main Street
North Main Street
Illinois 154
Bend Lake
Illinois 148
Cheryl Wilkerson
Department of Transportation
IDOT
Franklin and
Williamson Counties
Wilkerson
Thomson
Union Pacific
CNR
St. Louis
Paducah
Also Mentioned on This Page
Becky.malkovich
Thesouthern
Herrin
Mwhsi
Vamela En Conwekgt
Ian Thomson
Canadian National Railway
Checky
Christopher
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