“No injuries and no HAZMAT situation, and those were my fears,’- LFD Chief Jimmy Pack

Several train cars came off the track Saturday morning at West Central Avenue.

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Above the North 5th Street underpass about 10:25am Saturday, you could see a lot of dust coming from the train as if the big rock under the cross ties was being roughed up. The dust settled, and the train kept rolling southwest. Then there was a loud sound and the train came to a stop. That’s when cars came off the track at the West Central Avenue crossing.

“CSX officials are on the scene, as of 11am, and the crew that handles situations like this will be on site in a couple of hours,” said La Follette Fire Chief Jimmy Pack.

It’s been reported that some cars are also off the track near Church Street. Connect HERE to see Charlie Hutson photos from the ground and the air via WLAF’s Eagle I.

“We were all out in the parking lot when it left the track,” said Jeff Pace of JR’s Tires. Pace, J.R. Kitts, their employees and customers all had a first hand look at the derailment after hearing the loud boom.

Four railroad crossings are blocked by the train.

“It’s not a HAZMAT (hazardous materials) incident, and no one was injured, and that was my fear. Thank goodness those are not issues. But we’re going to have a traffic nightmare for a while. I’m in the process of hearing back from CSX,” said Pack (at 10:30am). A total of six cars are off the rails, and they are not HAZMAT cars. The HAZMAT cars, a part of this 102 car train, are on the tracks and are upright, according to Pack.

The West Central Avenue lights continue flashing, and the bell is sounding.

The South Avenue, West Central Avenue, North 7th Street and Nevada Avenue train crossings are all blocked by the train. The train’s engine sits over the South Avenue crossing, and the train stretches from there back up North Tennessee Avenue where it sits on the West Iron Street train trestle.

The train’s engine is just a little past the South Avenue crossing.

Ways to access the west and north sides of town are the North 13th Street underpass, the North 11th Street bridge, the North 5th Street overpass and the West Iron Street trestle. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/25/2024-11AM)

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