The Evening Star
Washington D.C.
Friday, June 27, 1952
Driver Dies as Truck Derails Locomotive Crossing Shirley
A truck driver was fatally injured yesterday when his dump truck struck
a
diesel-electric locomotive which was derailed and knocked off the road
at a
Shirley highway crossing near Shirlington.
He was James Robert Cauldle, 27, of Centerville, Va.,
pronounced dead on arrival at Alexandria Hospital.
Witnesses told Arlington police the truck driver appeared
unaware of crossing signal bells and red warning lights
as he passed slowing traffic and a tractor-trailer truck which had
stopped at the crossing.
The impact derailed the westbound locomotive, which was
pulling eight freight cars loaded with building materials.
The engine continued across the dual lane highway and plunged
down a 6-foot embankment. The accident occurred at 2:45 p.m.
Closed After Rush Hour
Traffic was rerouted from the highway until 5 p.m., when the
freight cars were uncoupled and backed up. Rush hour
traffic was permitted to use the highway until 7 p.m., when
the highway was closed at Washington boulevard in Arlington
and Woodbridge, Va.
The road was not reopened until 10 p.m., when the locomotive
was hauled away by a Potomac Yards wrecker.
W.H. Fox, 48, of 1302 Lee highway, Arlington, engineer of the
Washington & Old Dominion Railroad diesel, said he was
crossing the highway at about 8 miles per hour. He said
the signal lights and bells were started when he was 200
yards from the crossing.
Cleared of Responsibility
At a hearing this morning before Judge Harry R. Thomas
in Arlington County Court, Mr. Fox was cleared of any
responsibility in the accident.
Mr. Fox told police he was abreast of the stopped trailer
truck before he saw the asphalt laden dump truck
moving rapidly in the inside northbound lane. He told
police he warned his crew and applied his emergency
air brakes.
The engineer was burned slightly on the arm and
neck by hot asphalt which cascaded over the engine
at impact. Two brakemen on the engine, Clayton
Legge, 46 of 1726 North Quinn street, Arlington, and
William W. Mahoney, 29, of Herndon, Va., and a
conductor, J.D. Thorne, 53 of 5623 Massachusetts avenue,
Falls Church, were uninjured.