NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS) -- A Chicago man called 911 to report a sport-utility vehicle struck on the tracks in Southwest Michigan – and thought a crisis had been averted.
But less than an hour later, a Chicago-bound Amtrak train slammed into that very SUV – injuring at least six people.
As CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reported Tuesday, Amtrak said they were never notified of the SUV on the tracks before the crash last week. This was despite a warning call a full 41 minutes earlier.
We have learned that the local 911 center somehow misidentified the crossing. Todd Gillman, the man who called 911, wants to make sure that it never happens again.
On Thursday night of last week, Gillman was driving in New Buffalo Township, Michigan, when he was flagged down by the owner of the SUV. The SUV driver had accidentally driven onto the train tracks and had gotten stuck.
"It couldn't get more serious," Gillman said.
He immediately called 911.
"She seemed to understand the gravity of the situation," Gillman said.
He showed us his call log to Berrien County 911 at 8:22 p.m. Central time this past Thursday.
"The vehicle is fine. It's just on the tracks," he told a dispatcher. "So if a train were to come, that would be very, very bad, obviously."
"Yeah, we'll have to get the train to stop if there are any coming," the dispatcher replied. "I'll go ahead and call the train company then."
Satisfied that the driver was in good hands, Gillman left the scene.
It wasn't until the next day that he heard on the radio that an Amtrak train hit an SUV and derailed in the same spot.
"You hear this bang, and then you look out the windows and there's a fireball," Amtrak passenger Aaron Kauflin told CBS affiliate WSBT-TV, South Bend.
The crash happened at 9:03 p.m. Central – 41 minutes after the call. Of the 211 passengers on the train, six were injured.
"I was just devastated," Gillman said. "I couldn't believe that happened."
A CSX spokesperson said they were notified of a car on the tracks and immediately took action. They only problem was it was the wrong company.
Amtrak should have been notified, but a spokesperson confirmed that they never were.
"In my head, I thought, if you alert 911, you can walk away feeling like this is going to get solved," Gillman said, "and it's really disappointing that it didn't."
We reached out to Berrien County 911 for an interview but were sent a statement, explaining that a "a technology failure and misidentification of a crossing" led to the wrong company being notified. This is the full statement released by Berrien County 911 on Monday:
The Berrien County Public Safety Communication Center/911 Dispatch is providing the following update on the Thursday, Nov. 16 derailment of a passenger train in New Buffalo Township.
While the incident remains under investigation, it appears a technology failure and misidentification of a crossing contributed to the accident that led to the derailment of a westbound Amtrak train at approximately 10 p.m. Of the approximate 200 passengers on the train, six individuals were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries by ambulance services who responded to the incident.
The technology issue has been resolved, and Berrien County is reviewing its 911 emergency dispatch protocols to mitigate any future occurrence.
"Our preliminary review of this incident shows we were experiencing technical issues with our computer aided dispatch system on the evening of Nov. 16 that left us unable to enter intersection cross streets, which are critical to our ability to pinpoint locations."
"At approximately 9:21 p.m., we received two 911 calls alerting us to a stranded vehicle on train tracks in New Buffalo Township. We identified the location using a nearby business, as we were unable to enter an intersection using cross streets because of the software issue. We cross-referenced that location with our list of railroad crossings, which resulted in the identification of an incorrect train crossing. We then immediately notified CSX, the primary operating railroad of the tracks at that crossing location.
"We appreciate the swift response from 20 agencies and organizations to Thursday's derailment," said Caitlin Sampsell, Berrien County 911 director. "We remain incredibly grateful for the support of all those who helped ensure the safe evacuation of the passengers onboard and their reunification with loved ones."
The initial steps taken to modify dispatch protocols include changes to:
Protocols related to computer and software updates.
Communication protocols with railroads.
The railroad crossing resource guide, ensuring it is in a more user-friendly format for dispatchers.
"We were just busting the windows open to get some air through," Amtrak passenger Son Phan said the night of the accident.
Amtrak and CSX point out that signs are posted at roadway and pedestrian crossings on railroads nationwide — and offer a direct, and maybe even faster, way to get a train operator's attention. The signs advise people to report an emergency or problem to 1-800-874-9764. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari emphasized that this number is only applicable for Amtrak crossings — it is not a universal number:
"This occurred at a public crossing equipped with lights, gates, bells and Emergency Notification System signs. These signs are common to roadway and pedestrian crossings on railroads, both freight and passenger, nationwide. [Below] is a photo of the emergency notification sign at that crossing.
Amtrak
"Calling the phone number on signs such as these is the most immediate and effective way to stop rail traffic and prevent incidents such as these. Those numbers ring to the train directors (dispatchers) who can directly order trains to stop."
"Apparently this the number you should call. Who knew?" Gillman said. "But let's get that message out."
Fortunately, none of the injuries in the crash were life threatening.
