Expert Testifies at Crash Hearing

CHICAGO (AP) - A railroad signal expert testified on Tuesday that warning lights probably were flashing before a steel-loaded truck tried to cross the tracks and was struck by an Amtrak train in an accident that killed 11 passengers.

But John Sharkey, a communications and signals general manager for Canadian National-Illinois Central Railroad, said he doubted a warning gate hit the truck.

Sharkey's account came on the second of three days of public hearings that the National Transportation Safety Board has been holding to look for clues into what caused the March 15 crash of the City of New Orleans train near Bourbonnais, about 50 miles south of Chicago.

In addition to the 11 deaths, 122 people were injured.

On Monday, Luis A. Nieves, who said he was driving the second of two cars stopped behind John R. Stokes' tractor-trailer, told board members he saw warning lights and heard bells as Stokes drove through the railroad crossing.

Nieves said he also saw a crossing gate strike Stokes' truck as he tried to drive it around the barrier, shortly before it was struck in the rear by the train.

But Sharkey, who analyzed event recorder data collected at the crossing gate, said he did not think the warning lights and gate activated simultaneously.

Sharkey said he "completely agrees" with testimony given Monday by a steel company crane operator, Troy Schultz, who said he saw warning lights before the collision. But he said tests he performed on the crossing gate showed no evidence that it hit the truck.

The event recorder took down the approach of the train and the activation of the warning system but was not designed to detect any impact with the gates.

Stokes received a 60-day suspension and has since regained his driver's license. He has refused to testify in this week's hearing.