Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

NTSB hearing on 2011 Nevada Amtrak crash probable cause

The National Transportation Safety Board is ready to determine who or what's to blame for last year's fatal crash between a truck and an Amtrak train that left six people dead at a rural crossing 70 miles east of Reno.

The panel is to hear presentations from investigators at NTSB headquarters in Washington on Tuesday before rendering a formal probable cause ruling. Hurricane Sandy forced postponement of the original hearing date.

Federal experts determined earlier that a truck driver skidded nearly 300 feet before slamming into the side of the train in June 2011, killing him, a crew member and four passengers.

NTSB's preliminary findings in September offered conflicting accounts of whether the guard crossing arm failed to operate correctly of whether the 43-year-old truck driver just wasn't paying attention.

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