Monday, March 05, 2012

Truck Hit By U.S. Sugar Train In Clewiston

Charges Pending In Truck-Train Collision
Vidal Perez, 49 of Clewiston in in serious condition at Lee Memorial Hospital after the tractor-trailer he was driving on a private U.S. Sugar Corp. road was hit by a locomotive.

Perez was driving a 2001 Freightliner semi-tractor trailer at 3:57 p.m. Monday, traveling south on a private road owned by U.S. Sugar Corporation, approaching a railway grade crossing south of County Road 720. 

A U.S. Sugar Corp. train locomotive was traveling west approaching the private road. For unknown reasons, Perez did not notice the oncoming train. As a result, his truck entered the railway crossing directly in the path of the train. 

At that time, the right front of locomotive, operated by Thomas Jason Brown, 32 of Clewiston struck the left front side of the tractor unit. Perez, not wearing a seat belt, was ejected and landed on the gravel side of the
railway. The semi-tractor trailer came to final rest near the point of collision. 

The locomotive did not de-rail, and came to a controlled rest approximately 1,000 feet from the crossing. David Wayne Guerin, 46 of Clewiston was also in the locomotive. Neither men in the train were injured.

The truck ended up with about $25,000 damages and the locomotive about $18,000. Charges are pending investigation by the FHP. An investigation in pending on alcohol use by Perez.

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