NORTH BALTIMORE -- A train crash in North Baltimore has sent 3 people to the hospital and derailed several train cars. It happened at 12:19pm in North Baltimore, about 40 miles south of Toledo.
CSX says one of its trains was headed westbound carrying mixed freight when it derailed near the Tarr Road rail crossing in North Baltimore. There were 35 cars in that train being pulled by 3 locomotives. Fifteen cars derailed, crushing one automobile at the rail crossing, and heavily damaging 3 more.
The derailed cars also blocked a parallel track, and hit an eastbound CSX train that was carrying coal. That caused several of the 119 cars in that train to derail as well.
The Wood County Sheriff's Department says rescuers had to use the Jaws of Life to remove Bob Loe from his car. Loe, a supervisor for the Village of North Baltimore, was taken to Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay with serious injuries. He was then transferred to the University of Toledo Medical Center where, as of 5:40pm, he is being evaluated in the emergency room.
Matt Schwartz, who also works for the Village of North Baltimore, was taken to Wood County Hospital where he was treated and released. News 11 has no information on the third person who was injured except that he or she is in fair condition at Wood County Hospital.
Life Flight was called, but then cancelled, because the helicopter couldn't fly in the rainy weather.
Fire and rescue crews from North Baltimore and two other fire departments are working at the scene.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says most of the train crossings between North Baltimore and I-75 will be blocked until the incident is cleaned up.
A high school, some houses and a grain elevator were nearby. Classes continued at the school.
Freight traffic was shut down on the track that CSX says is a busy one for the company. CSX was unsure how long the train service would be disrupted.
CSX says the speed limit for trains in that area is 60 miles per hour, and the trains were most likely travelling at that speed.
According to its web site, CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., owns companies providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company ships cargo between ports around the country, and between more than 200 short line railroads.
CSX maintains 2,100 miles of track in Ohio, and handles 280,000 carloads of freight annually. CSX trains ship coal, automobiles, corn and sheet/steel through Ohio. The company maintains major rail yards in Willard, Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus.
On the Web:
CSX: www.csx.com
