Fired engineer recounts deadly crash between Amtrak’ Silver Star and CSX freight train in South Carolina on 60 Minutes

From CBS News; February 28, 2019

Mark James describes the deadly crash of an Amtrak passenger train into his CSX train in his first interview since the accident that killed two and injured many more. But as Lesley Stahl reports, the crash could have been prevented. Stahl’s investigation will be broadcast on 60 Minutes Sunday, March 3 at 7 p.m., ET/PT on CBS.

On a night about a year ago, James parked his CSX freight train on a siding near Columbia, S.C.  That night, the train’s conductor had been manually throwing track switches, like the one that diverted his train onto the sidetrack from the main line. James was outside his engine when the lights of the Amtrak Silver Star approached. “I’m expecting these headlights very bright coming, to get on past us,” he tells Stahl. “And then I see– you could tell when that train hit the switch and came in on top of us, you could see where it– where it rocked, my mind was just crazy. [I said,] ‘Oh, my God, no. Please no. Please no.'”

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