Monday afternoon, a survey crew was working in the Tomball area when the driver Joshua Roberts, who had already gone around the “ROAD CLOSED” sign nearby, decided instead of going back to the overpass to cross the tracks he would cross them where he was by driving over the rails. He made it over one set, but got stuck in the loose rock on the second set of rails.
As both Roberts and his partner sat in the truck trying to decide what to do, the train came approaching. Robert’s said the trains sounded once with a short blast, which Robert’s years working for the railroad told him was meant to get their attention, followed by a second, longer blast meant to warn others to get out of the way. Roberts claimed that the conductor never applied his brakes as both men jumped out of the truck, seconds before the train slammed into it.
When questioned on why he hadn’t attempted to stop, the conductor claimed that Robert’s black truck appeared to be a shadow under the overpass.
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