About 3:13 p.m., Wednesday, March 17, 1993, an Amerada Hess (Hess) tractor-semitrailer hauling gasoline was struck by National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) train 91. The truck driver was attempting to cross a railroad/highway grade crossing on Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Traffic in the area of the crossing was congested because the left and centre lanes were closed just over the crossing. Traffic was being channelled into the right lane and later shifted into a right-turn lane. The truck, which was loaded with 8,500 gallons of gasoline, was punctured when it was struck. A fire erupted, engulfing the truck and nine other vehicles. The fire killed the truck driver and five occupants of three stopped vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the inadequacy of the precautions taken by the Broward County project manager, the design engineer, and the contractor, which resulted in traffic congestion at the railroad/highway grade crossing, and the truck driver's decision to cross the railroad track even though the warning system had been activated. The major safety issue discussed in this report are the performance of the truck driver and traffic control in work zones near railroad/highway grade crossings. As a result of its investigation of this accident, the Safety Board makes recommendations to the Federal Highway Administration, the American Trucking Association, Inc., and the Amerada Hess Corporation. (A)
Abstract