Train hits pickup, kills driver
76-year-old Milan man reportedly drove around crossing gates

A small pickup truck that was driven by an elderly man is transported away from an accident scene were it was hit by a train Tuesday morning in Grants, NM. The train was traveling westbound when the driver of the pick up attempted to beat the train at a railroad crossing. The elderly man was dead on scene. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

A grill to a small pickup truck that was driven by an elderly man at the scene car-train wreck Tuesday morning in Grants, NM. The train was traveling westbound when the driver of the pick up attempted to beat the train at a railroad crossing. The elderly man was dead on scene. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

MILAN — A 76-year-old Milan man was killed Tuesday morning when he attempted to cross in front of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train.

The BNSF train was traveling westbound when it struck a pickup truck that was stopped on an at-grade crossing in Milan, killing 76-year-old Marvin S. Sutherland of Grants.

New Mexico State Police are investigating why Sutherland reportedly drove around other stopped traffic and tried to cross the tracks with the crossing gates down and lights flashing, Lt. Darren Soland said.

The train’s engineers saw the stopped truck as they neared the crossing about 8:30 a.m., and were blowing the train’s horn to attract Sutherland’s attention to the fact a train was bearing down on him, NMSP Sgt. Luis Hernandez said.

The train’s crew hit the emergency stop switch as the train neared the truck, Hernandez said.

The train dragged the truck 2,445 feet, close to a half-mile, from the crossing, which is where New Mexico Highway 605, also called San Mateo Road, intersects with U.S. Highway 66.

Sutherland was removed from the scene by a medical transport van about 11:15 a.m.

Immediately following his removal, a BNSF truck with a special crane-like arm, was brought in to remove Sutherland’s pickup truck from the track where it had been pushed by the train.

The pickup truck was still lodged onto the front of the lead engine and had to be separated from the train by BNSF crew members and firefighters.

The left side of the pickup was completely crushed, the hood was buckled, the left front tire was angled outward at indicating a possible broken front axle and the front windshield, which was fractured by the accident, was still partially intact.

Soland said several medicine bottles were found in the truck but did not know at press time what the medications were or what they treated.

He said an autopsy will be conducted by the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque and a toxicology report has been requested.

“It could take up to two months or more to get the toxicology report back from OMI,” he said.

Grants Fire and Rescue, Milan Volunteer Fire Departments and Milan police also responded to the accident.

BNSF director of regional public affairs, Joe Faust, told the Independent the train was traveling at 55 mph on its way from Belen to Winslow, Ariz.

“Studies have shown it takes a train a mile to stop when it is traveling at 55 mph,” he said.

“The crew, an engineer and a conductor, have already requested trauma relief counseling,” he said.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.