Conductor killed in collision identified as UTU member

LINCOLN -- Family members' worst fears became reality after they identified the body of a railroad crewman late Wednesday near Flagstaff, Ariz.

The remains of 38-year old Mark Hurtz, a member of UTU Local 305, Lincoln, Neb., were found in the wreckage of two Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) freight trains, according to the Associated Press. Tuesday's accident left crushed and burnt rail cars sprawled across the snow.

Jerry and Margaret Hurtz of Omaha flew to Arizona to identify their son Wednesday. They will return to Nebraska today.

"They're in shock and we're in shock," Sara Weixelman, sister of the late railroad conductor, said Thursday.

Hurtz had been employed with BNSF about five years, Weixelman said. He and wife, Linda, had been married about 10 years and had no children.

Three other crew members were hurt in the accident Tuesday when one BNSF train rear-ended another that had stopped on the tracks about 10 miles west of Flagstaff.

An engineer remained hospitalized in critical condition. The two other crewmen were treated at a hospital and released.

Hurtz family members expected the worst when they were told only one crew member was missing and Mark was unaccounted for from the accident.

A memorial service had been set for Thursday at Roper and Sons funeral home.

Meanwhile, the onsite investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conclude today (Friday, November 3). Findings generally are released from six to nine months after an event is investigated but NTSB spokeswoman Lauren Peduzzi said it could be a year before NTSB releases its final report. "We do a very extensive, a very thorough, investigation," she said.

The crash pushed several cars off the tracks. Three locomotives burst into flames, burning thousands of gallons of diesel fuel. Flames lit the sky through the night.

The parked train was carrying a small amount of hazardous materials but authorities said there wasn't a spill. The 15 families that had been evacuated were allowed to return Wednesday.

Interstate 40, the main east-west route through northern Arizona, has been reopened.

The wreck's front train, carrying hazardous materials, was headed from Alliance, Texas, to Los Angeles. The trailing train was headed from Chicago to Richmond, Calif.

According to reports, NTSB investigators have recovered the event recorders from the two freight trains.

The devices, which are similar to the "black box" recorders on airplanes, could tell investigators what the trains were doing before and during the accident. But the recorders did have severe heat damage from the fire, Peduzzi said.

"They have not been read out yet, but that is something they will look to do in the near future," she said.

One freight train rear-ended another about 10 miles west of Flagstaff on Tuesday, crumpling engines and cars. Three locomotives burst into flames and thousands of gallons of diesel fuel burned, sending flames licking into the sky.

A dozen cars from the lead train, which was stopped on the tracks, and three from the rear train derailed. Several more stayed on the tracks.

Peduzzi said investigators have yet to interview survivors, but intend to do so.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokeswoman Lena Kent said the surviving crew members had been tested for drugs, a standard procedure following accidents. She said the results would not be released unless they played a role in the conclusions reached by the NTSB.

The first train was headed from Alliance, Texas, to Los Angeles. The trailing train, which wasn't carrying hazardous materials, was headed from Chicago to Richmond, Calif.

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