New accident reports released by the Clay County authorities confirm the death of a motorist who drove onto the path of a moving train in Wichita Falls, Texas. The train-versus-car collision happened on Thursday, May 14.

Witnesses notified authorities about the crash shortly after 10 a.m. Officers said they found the victim unresponsive, in his severely dented vehicle off the tracks of a private railroad crossing, a few miles south of Jolly.

Investigators determined the motorist was attempting to drive onto the other side of the railroad crossing when the train struck him. The locomotive was traveling northbound on the crossing, adjacent to the Dillard Ranch, located along U.S. Highway 287. The reports confirmed that the victim, identified as Robert White, of Wichita Falls, was a worker on the ranch property.

He was at the time operating an older model Buick Riviera. Detectives believe he misjudged the speed of the oncoming northbound train, leading him to attempt the drive through the crossing. The impact of the collision forced the Buick off the tracks, to the side of the crossing where it went aflame before eventually coming to rest.

There was no one else present in the vehicle with White when it crashed, as per the accident reports. The occupants of the train went unscathed. Police said the small crossing lacked an active warning system and flashing lights, but sported a single railroad crossing warning signage.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office responded at the scene. Officials with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad also assisted in the investigation.

Disclaimer: The Accident News article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.

The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Accident News’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.

Please follow and like us: