NTSB report: What caused deadly Cleveland railroad crash?

***Watch previous coverage in the video above.***

CLEVELAND (WJW) – The National Transportation Safety Board has released its railroad investigation report into a Cleveland train crash that left a Norfolk Southern conductor dead last year.

The crash happened on March 7, 2023 , when a train collided with a dump truck at a railroad crossing at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works property.

The conductor, 46-year-old Louis Shuster of Broadview Heights, who was riding the front train car during a “shoving movement,” was killed in the crash.

Through its investigation , the NTSB revealed Monday that the crew wasn’t following Norfolk Southern Operating Rule 120, which requires a crew member to stand outside a private highway-railroad grade crossing to warn drivers of an oncoming train.

According to the NTSB report , the design of the intersection at the rail crossing also made it difficult for the driver to see if the tracks were safe to cross.

“The NTSB observed that the field of view, because of the acute angle of the crossing with respect to the road, was about 38 feet down the railroad track in the direction of the oncoming train, train C75B106,” the report said. “Had this been the perspective of the driver, then the train was likely out of his view when he made the decision to proceed and cross the tracks.”

The dump truck driver was previously charged with vehicular manslaughter in the crash, but as the FOX 8 I-Team reported in April , those charges were dismissed for “want of prosecution.”

At the time, Cleveland City Hall told the I-Team the case was dismissed for “weak evidence” including the lack of lights and gates at the crossing.

Since the crash, according to the NTSB report, Cleveland-Cliffs has worked to improve the railroad crossing by, “altering the road so that it is closer to a 90° angle and reducing the
acute angle with the tracks and installed additional stop signs, crossbucks and portable
light towers.”

The report also points out that, after the crash, Norfolk Southern, “issued a serious incident notice to employees describing the accident, emphasizing adherence to NS Operating Rule 120, and discussing the importance of pausing to identify risks.”

FOX 8 reached out to Norfolk Southern and Cleveland-Cliffs for statements.

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