Truck Driver Tried to Beat Train, Crash Witness Says

A motorist who claims to have been directly behind the truck involved in the deadly Amtrak collision said the driver tried to snake through lowered crossing gates and beat the train, a high-level federal source said Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said in an interview with Associated Press that investigators believe the motorist is credible and had a clear view of the accident, which killed 11 people and injured more than 100 Monday night.

“We are continuing to interview him, but his statements are not inconsistent with what the engineer originally said,” the source said from Washington.

John Goglia of the NTSB said Thursday that there is still no indication the crossing signal malfunctioned. And in a reenactment of the crash using a truck and locomotive, the truck was able to zigzag around the downed crossing gates without hitting them.

The trucker, 58-year-old John Stokes, told investigators the gates came down after he started across the tracks. Since then, he has hired a lawyer, and the attorney has barred authorities from questioning his client further.

The developments came as the NTSB prepared to wrap up its work in this community 50 miles south of Chicago. Thirty of the agency’s investigators have been looking for the cause of the wreck.

With its engineer trying to stop, Amtrak’s City of New Orleans slammed into the truck, which was loaded with steel rods, at 79 mph.

Goglia said the witness is a motorist who called Amtrak on Wednesday night. The motorist, whom Goglia would not identify, said in an initial interview that other cars were nearby.

Stokes was driving on a probationary license after receiving three Indiana speeding tickets in a year. In total, he had been ticketed for speeding seven times since 1993 and had to take two safety classes last year to keep his driving privileges, according to records.

About 100 people attended a memorial service Thursday night. People wept and hugged as 11 white votive candles were lighted and 11 chimes played.