Freight Trains Hit Head-On; 4 Killed

Two freight trains collided head-on and exploded in a huge fireball on a stretch of track controlled by dispatchers about 850 miles away. Four people were killed, including a Union Pacific employee on each train and two unauthorized passengers who may have been riding the rails. The collision derailed 29 cars, damaged a railroad bridge and caused a tremendous blast as 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel ignited. The accident occurred about 30 miles southwest of San Antonio in “dark territory,” meaning it has no rail signals and must be controlled by dispatchers in Omaha, Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said. Investigators were trying to determine why the trains were on the same track.