02/08/2011 // New York City, New York, USA // New York City Accident Lawyer // Jonathan C. Reiter

Dunkirk, NY— (New York City Accident Lawyer News) A Texas man was killed when the tractor-trailer he was driving collided with a New York City-bound Amtrak train Wednesday morning, Jan. 12, 2011. The fatal accident occurred on Middle Road in Dunkirk, located in Chautauqua County, New York, WGRZ reported. While 236 passengers and 16 crewmembers were aboard the Amtrak passenger train at the time, all of them managed to escape injury in the truck-locomotive collision. According to information provided by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the number of highway-rail grade crossing collisions dropped 78 percent from 1980 to 2008. Additionally, injuries acquired in these accidents declined 76 percent and fatalities dropped 66 percent.

Eyewitnesses contended the driver of a tractor-trailer, whom police identified as Randolph Todd, maneuvered his truck around an activated railroad crossing gate around 8:40 a.m. Upon doing so, the truck was hit by an Amtrak locomotive that was en route to New York City from Chicago. Todd, a 51-year-old man from Sheppard, Texas, suffered fatal injuries in the Dunkirk collision. Reports did not specify whether he was taken to an area hospital after the crash or pronounced dead at the scene. Nevertheless, a passenger aboard the Amtrak train described the crash scene as “devastating,” noting that the tractor-trailer was practically split in two on impact. The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General issued a report in June 2004, which found that 94 percent of all highway-rail grade crossing accidents are caused by unsafe driver behavior.

Leading Manhattan injury attorney Jonathan C. Reiter states if you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Located in the Empire State Building, with more than thirty years of experience litigating the multifaceted claims of vehicular accident victims and their families, contacting New York City accident lawyer Jonathan Reiter with regard to your particular personal injury or wrongful death case may help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

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