UPDATE FROM CCSO: On November 15th , 2022 at 11:30pm, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to a location east of Bellemont along Interstate 40. BNSF Railroad personnel advised that one of their east bound trains had struck a vehicle on the railroad tracks.
Deputies along with medical personnel arrived at the location given by BNSF personnel at Interstate 40 and Mile Post 188. Initial responders arrived and located a 2007 Jeep Patriot and 2 passengers, both deceased. The Jeep was not at a railroad crossing and appeared to have been driving off road at the time of the accident. The circumstance of this incident remains under investigation.
All trains were shut down for approximately 6 hours during the investigation and were cleared to resume at around 6:00 am this morning. The victims’ names are not being released until all family members have been notified. Sheriff’s Office Detectives responded to the scene along with the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation and no further information is currently available. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Ponderosa Fire, the Department of Public Safety, and the Flagstaff Police Department for their assistance in this incident.
UPDATE 7:21 AM: At 11:26 pm Tuesday night, Flagstaff 911 received a call from BNSF stating one of their train conductors had informed them that they collided with a vehicle near Meadow Creek Rd and W Beatons Trail towards the end of Shadow Mountain. This put the accident roughly 10 miles west of Flagstaff. CCSO, Ponderosa Fire, and EMS all responded to the scene. Authorities were on the scene within minutes and were able to locate a stopped vehicle, but it was apparent there were no passengers inside it. Authorities then began searching for the occupants of the vehicle along the tracks. One adult deceased body was located at 11:45 along with another vehicle on the outside of the train, also unoccupied. At 11:48 pm a second adult deceased body was located near the tracks. It’s unclear what the exact location of the collision was at this time. Based on evidence at the scene, a Flagstaff Police officer was dispatched to the registered owner’s house to check on the welfare of a child and toddler. Flagscanner has reached out to CCSO for further details. Ponderosa Fire Department has confirmed the two fatalities. We will post it here when it is provided.
