On Sunday, May 31st, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office identified the men whose lives ended in a fatal accident in Lancaster, California. They revealed their names in updated accident reports as Brittan Nolte, 30, and Jeffery Russ, 37, both of Quartz Hill.
The initial crash report showed that the victims lost their lives on the morning of Friday, May 29th, after a freight train collided with the car they were in. It took place at about 5:14 a.m. in the area of Avenue I and Sierra Highway.
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The Los Angeles Fire Department said that investigators have not discovered if Nolte and Russ were driving across the train track at the time of the accident or parked their vehicle on the railroad. The investigation is ongoing, and there’s no additional information at this time.
Auto-train accidents happen for several reasons, and most of them take place at crossings when cars try to beat the train. This kind of accident often involves drivers, their passengers, and pedestrians.
The causes of auto-train accidents include negligence from the driver, the train conductor, or the railway company. Another is human error, recklessness of drivers, conductors, and pedestrians, and mechanical failure.
Accident reports show that trains going over the speed limit often collide with drivers. Railway authorities advise drivers to stay away from tracks with defective crossing signs and only cross when they are sure they have the right of way. Motorists should also avoid parking at train tracks.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.