Train Carrying 100 Politicians That Almost Became America's Worst Political Disaster

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]It could have become one of the deadliest political disasters in modern American history.

[00:00:06]In early 2018, a train carrying Republican lawmakers and their families was traveling through rural Virginia.

[00:00:14]Children were on board. Husbands and wives were on board. Members of Congress were on board. Then, without warning, the train struck a garbage truck trapped on a level crossing. The impact derailed the locomotive. Metal twisted across the tracks. Passengers were thrown from their seats. For a few terrifying moments, nobody knew how bad the disaster would become. Yet, the most shocking part of this story is that investigators later discovered the crossing warnings were working correctly. So, how did the truck end up directly in front of the train? This is the story of the 2018 Croset, Virginia train collision. Crosseé is a town of 9,224 people according to the year 2020 census. It is located in the far eastern part of the United States in the state of Virginia. The town lies around 74 mi or 119 km northwest of Richmond and about 27 mi or 44 km south of Harrisonenberg.

[00:01:23]Crosseé is located along the Rivana subdivision, a main railway line that connects Gladstone in the west with Rivana in the east. The line is not electrified and parts of it have two tracks. The railway is owned by CSX Transportation, a freight train company based in Florida that was formed in 1980.

[00:01:45]Because the line is mainly owned for freight operations, most trains using it are cargo trains. However, passenger trains operated by Amtrak are also allowed to use the route from time to time. On the day of the accident, a Freightlininer Business M2 garbage truck was traveling southbound on Lanetown Road. Inside the truck were a 30-year-old driver and two passengers.

[00:02:09]In August of the same year, a specialized company fitted the truck with a rear garbage container and a lifting mechanism used for collecting trash. More than 100 members of the Republican party along with their spouses and children had planned to attend an annual retreat at a luxury resort near the city of White Sulfur Springs in West Virginia. To travel there from Washington DC, the group chartered a private Amtrak train for their exclusive use. Because many of the passengers were politicians and lawmakers, the train became known as the Congressional Special, officially operating as train number 923.

[00:02:51]The train was made up of six passenger cars, two cafe cars, and a locomotive at each end. One locomotive pulled the train from the front, while the second locomotive at the rear was controlled remotely and pushed the train forward.

[00:03:07]inside the locomotive cab with the train engineer and his assistant. Because of the high-profile passengers on board, a police officer was also reportedly riding in the cab during the journey. On January 31st, 2018, the Congressional Special was approaching the Lanetown Road level crossing at around 11:14 in the morning. The train was traveling at approximately 60 m or 96.5 km hour. The railway line leading to the crossing passed through a long lefthand curve surrounded by rows of trees. Because of this, visibility of the crossing ahead was limited, and train crews could only see it at a relatively short distance.

[00:03:51]At the same time, a garbage truck operated by Time Disposal LLC was driving southwest toward the crossing.

[00:04:00]The three-man crew had reportedly been sent to assist another garbage truck that had already reached its carrying capacity, while more trash still remained to be collected in the area.

[00:04:11]Although the truck's cab was equipped with seat belts for all three occupants, none of the men were wearing them at the time. At around 11:15 in the morning, the Lanetown Road level crossing finally came into view for the locomotive crew.

[00:04:25]The engineer's assistant, referred to in the official report as the foreman, later recalled seeing the garbage truck approaching from the north side of the crossing. The train engineer later stated that he saw the truck drive around the lowered crossing barrier and enter the tracks.

[00:04:42]Because of the angle between the road and the railway line, the flashing warning lights were clearly visible. At first, the engineer believed the truck would continue moving and clear the crossing safely. He sounded the train horn as a warning, expecting the driver to move out of the way. But only seconds later, the situation suddenly changed.

[00:05:04]The garbage truck stopped directly on the tracks. Data from the train later showed that the engineer activated the emergency brakes at 11:1637 a.m. 2 seconds later at 11:1639 a.m. the train's braking system fully engaged as air pressure was dumped through the emergency stop system. The relatively short passenger train slowed down quickly, but there was simply not enough distance left to stop in time.

[00:05:36]At 11:1642 a.m., Amtrak locomotive number 145 slammed into the rear left side of the garbage truck while still traveling at around 35 m or 56 kmh.

[00:05:51]The force of the impact tore the garbage container completely off the truck's frame and ripped it open. The rear section of the truck twisted sharply to the right as the vehicle rotated around its front end, scattering debris and garbage across the area. The detached container was thrown several feet down the railway line before landing on its side. Inside the cab, both passengers were thrown out during the collision.

[00:06:16]The passenger seated in the middle suffered fatal injuries. The driver struck the steering wheel and dashboard but remained inside the truck. During the impact, the lead axle of the locomotive derailed. This helped slow the train further after the collision, bringing it to a complete stop around 20 seconds later. The middle seat passenger in the garbage truck was the only person killed in the accident.

[00:06:43]The truck driver, the second passenger, four train crew members, and three passengers on board the train were also injured during the crash and the train's sudden deceleration.

[00:06:56]Within the same minute as the collision, the train's foreman contacted the local dispatcher and reported the accident.

[00:07:03]The dispatcher quickly alerted emergency services and rescue teams were sent to the scene. The surviving passenger from the garbage truck was airlifted to a hospital shortly after the crash.

[00:07:14]Ambulances also transported the truck driver. Three train passengers and one unidentified train crew member for further medical treatment. Other injured survivors were treated at the scene.

[00:07:27]After emergency crews documented the remaining passengers and confirmed their condition, the travelers from the Congressional Special continued their journey by bus later that afternoon.

[00:07:38]Investigators later examined both the train and the wreckage of the garbage truck at the crash site. According to the official report, almost no part of the truck escaped damage. The driver's cab had been heavily crushed and partially torn away from the frame. The truck's suspension and braking systems also suffered severe destruction during the collision. Despite the massive damage, investigators found no evidence that the truck had suffered from any mechanical defect before the accident.

[00:08:08]Based on their examination, they concluded that there was no technical reason for the truck to remain stopped on the tracks for several seconds before the impact. Investigators then focused their attention on the train crew. Data from the train's onboard camera and data recorder showed that several seconds passed between the moment the garbage truck came into view and the moment the engineer activated the emergency brakes.

[00:08:34]Train engineers later explained to investigators that it was common for drivers, including truck drivers, to drive around lowering or already closed crossing barriers in an attempt to beat approaching trains. Because of this, train crews often developed a sense of whether a vehicle would clear the tracks in time. With this in mind, investigators concluded that the engineers decision to sound the horn first instead of immediately activating the emergency brakes was reasonable under the circumstances.

[00:09:05]They determined that the engineer was not at fault for the collision, even partially. According to the investigation, the garbage truck only became visible to the engineer a few seconds before impact and until around 3 seconds before the crash. It appeared that the truck would successfully clear the crossing. The truck driver survived the collision with minor injuries but refused to speak with investigators.

[00:09:32]However, investigators were legally allowed to take a blood sample which was collected around 5 hours after the accident.

[00:09:40]Tests later showed the presence of THC, the chemical responsible for the intoxicating effects of marijuana, as well as gabapentin, a medication commonly used to treat seizures and chronic pain. Gabapentin affects the central nervous system and carries warnings about drowsiness and impaired driving ability. When investigators reviewed the driver's medical records, they reportedly found no prescription for the medication. This suggested that the drug may not have been obtained legally or used for its intended medical purpose. Because the truck driver continued refusing to cooperate with investigators, the National Transportation Safety Board or NTSB obtained an identical garbage truck and recreated the final moments before the collision.

[00:10:31]During the reenactment, investigators discovered that the driver could intentionally drive around the lowered northern crossing barrier by briefly entering the opposite lane of traffic.

[00:10:42]However, after doing so, the truck became trapped between the southern crossing barrier and a nearby mailbox, which was later destroyed in the accident. Investigators found that the driver still had several ways to escape the crossing. He could have continued forward, although doing so would likely have damaged the crossing barrier, the mailbox, or possibly the side of the truck itself. He also could have reversed back into the empty oncoming lane. At the time, the truck's normal lane on the northern side of the crossing was blocked by another vehicle waiting at the crossing. However, investigators concluded this was not a valid reason for remaining stopped on the tracks since the opposite lane behind the truck was clear. Using statements from the witness in the nearby car, the reenactment driver, and the recreated scene itself, investigators concluded that the truck driver had likely entered the crossing while under the influence of two substances that could impair judgment and reaction time. According to the investigation, the driver may have become confused or unable to make a quick decision after finding himself trapped between the barriers. As a result, the truck remained stopped directly in the path of the approaching train. When contacted by the National Transportation Safety Board, the truck driver's employer stated that the company had a zero tolerance policy toward drug use. The company also explained that drivers were tested both during hiring and through random drug tests afterward. According to company records, the driver involved in the accident had successfully passed all seven drug tests he had taken before the crash. Investigators accepted the company's documentation, but informed the employer that the pharmacy purchased urine testing kits they used did not fully meet the legal standards required for commercial truck drivers in the United States. However, investigators also noted that the type of testing kit used had no effect on the outcome in this particular case. The report later stated that the company updated its testing procedures after being informed that the previous methods were inadequate. In its final conclusions, the investigation determined that the truck driver had knowingly been operating the vehicle while under the influence of two substances that impaired judgment and reaction time.

[00:13:13]Investigators believed this significantly affected his ability to make decisions after he became trapped between the crossing barrier and the mailbox. The report also noted that sober drivers have repeatedly been known to drive around lowered crossing barriers at railroad crossings. However, investigators believed that a driver who was not impaired may have been able to either reverse the truck out of danger or realized that damaging the side of the truck against the barrier would have been far less severe than being struck by a train weighing hundreds of tons.

[00:13:47]According to investigators, the driver in this accident either failed to reach that conclusion or was unable to act quickly enough to avoid the collision.

[00:13:56]The report also pointed out that modern railroad crossing barriers are generally designed to break away easily. Even a small passenger car can normally force through them at low speed during an emergency if necessary. The official investigation also dedicated a large section of its report to the fact that none of the garbage trucks occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.

[00:14:22]Because of this, two of the men were thrown out of the cab during the crash.

[00:14:26]The passenger seated in the middle suffered fatal injuries after being ejected from the vehicle. The outside passenger survived but was critically injured and suffered permanent injuries.

[00:14:40]Investigators noted that the National Transportation Safety Board has treated seat belt safety as one of its major concerns since the agency was created in 1967.

[00:14:51]Despite the violent collision, the garbage truck's cab largely maintained its survival space. Although the cab was bent and damaged, the interior area where the occupants were seated remained mostly intact. The seats also stayed attached to their mounting points during the crash. According to investigators, the middle seat passenger likely would have survived if he had been wearing his lap belt. Even though lap belts provide less protection than modern threepoint seat belts, investigators explained that passengers wearing seat belts are far less likely to be thrown out during rollover or rotational crashes. The report also stated that the passenger sitting near the outside of the cab most likely would have remained inside the vehicle if he had been wearing his seat belt, greatly reducing the chance of severe injuries.

[00:15:44]The investigation pointed to research showing that wearing seat belts in trucks and buses can reduce the risk of death in an accident by around 77%.

[00:15:54]This is mainly because seat belts prevent occupants from being violently thrown around inside the vehicle or ejected completely. The report also compared seat belt usage across different American states. States with strict seat belt enforcement laws had an average seat belt usage rate of 91%.

[00:16:14]While states without strong enforcement averaged around 82%.

[00:16:19]At the time of the accident, Virginia required commercial drivers and front seat passengers to wear seat belts, but enforcement was limited. The report ended with a recommendation urging the state of Virginia to strengthen and enforce seat belt laws for all seats equipped with seat belts in passenger cars, buses, and trucks in order to improve survival chances in future accidents, including train collisions.

[00:16:45]In the summer of 2018, the garbage truck driver was charged with involuntary manslaughter and maming while driving under the influence of impairing substances. However, by February 2019, he was found not guilty and acquitted on both charges. Any additional legal or professional consequences after the trial remain unclear. However, it is generally believed that the driver likely lost his job because he had been operating the truck while under the influence of drugs. In the end, one man lost his life, several others were injured, and a quiet town in Virginia became part of American railroad history. But now, we want to hear your thoughts. Do you believe the crash was entirely caused by driver error, or do you think more could have been done to prevent the collision? Share your opinion in the comments below.