BNSF coal train derailment north of Pueblo, CO, kills a truck driver and closes I-25 for days

(Satellite)

I quit documenting derailments because they are too frequent. But this one is special for two reasons: it had a fatality (truck driver) and it was caused by a broken rail during moderate weather.

safe_image for Both directions of I-25 closed after train derails north of Pueblo
Dennis DeBruler: The accident happened on a Sunday afternoon. The southbound lanes opened Wednesday afternoon, and all lanes were opened Thursday afternoon. The preliminary report is that it was caused by a broken rail.

Colorado State Police via CBSnews_20231015
"CSP [Colorado State Police] confirmed at approximately 3:30 p.m. a train carrying coal derailed on a bridge over I-25 just north of Pueblo, Colorado."

CBSnews_20231017, Helen H. Richardson
"Broken rail likely caused fatal Colorado train derailment, full closure of Interstate 25 stretches on for a third day."
"'Investigators will continue to determine the cause of the broken rail and why warnings systems did not alert the crews to the condition of the track as part of the ongoing investigation,' said Sarah Taylor Sulick, Public Affairs Specialist for the National Transportation Safety Board."
The truck driver was a 60-year-old man from California.

The southbound lanes reopened just after 2pm on Wednesday [CBSnews_20231018], and the northbound lanes reopened Thursday afternoon [CBSnews_20231019].

CBSnews_20231019, CBS
The name of the truck driver was Lafollette Henderson.
"The NTSB said a broken track east of the bridge over the interstate caused the derailment over the weekend, sending 30 rail cars filled with coal onto the interstate."

CBSnews_20231019, CBS
"Repairs to the bridge will take longer partly because there is confusion over which entity owns the bridge. BNSF Railway said the state has ownership. CDOT said they have conflicting records on the 65-year-old bridge."

I Love Trains posted four photos with the comment: "Photos courtesy of Daniel Malmquist  - Train derailment north of Pueblo Co over I 25. All lanes blocked and truck under the bridge."

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Gail Atkins-Panalsek commented on the above post
Broken rail was undetected, train full of Powder River coal went over and bridge collapsed onto the semi, spilling many cars of coal all over. Train crew not injured but truck driver was crushed under everything.

BNSF replaced the bridge "between the evening of Dec 18th and the morning of Dec 19th [2023]. [@ 2:04]

7:34 video @ 5:41
He said the bridge span was put in place using the crane. I doubt that. I recognize the red things as the type of jacks on SPMTs that were used to install all of the spans for the BNSF shoefly bridge over I-295.