Driver dies in train crash after failing to stop at rail crossing in south Kansas City
A driver of a blue Jaguar S-Type sports sedan died in a train crash Monday after allegedly failing to stop at a nearby private rail crossing in the Martin City area of south Kansas City, a police spokeswoman said.
The crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. near the 13300 block of Holmes Road, said Officer Alayna Gonzalez with the Kansas City Police Department.
The driver killed in the crash was identified as Richard T. Buford, Gonzalez said.
An investigation revealed that a Union Pacific freight train was heading north on tracks that cut through the area. Gonzalez said the Jaguar’s driver was heading north on Holmes.
Buford allegedly “ran around the crossing gates that were fully lowered, then approximately 200 feet later turned back across the main line on another smaller road crossing right in front of the train and was struck by the train,” according to a highway-rail grade crossing crash report from the Federal Railroad Administration.
The report indicated that Buford allegedly did not stop at a stop sign at the crossing. The train was traveling an estimated 45 mph and had 101 cars, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.
The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt and was alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene, Gonzalez said. The train’s engineer and conductor were uninjured in the crash.
The driver’s death is the 35th traffic fatality of the year, compared to 22 fatalities at this time last year.
Holmes remained closed for several hours while police investigated the crash. The road reopened shortly before noon.
This story was originally published April 19, 2024 at 3:53 PM.
CORRECTION: An April 19 story identified the incorrect rail crossing of a fatal train versus car crash. The crash occurred at a private crossing in the 13300 block of Holmes Road in the Martin City area of south Kansas City.
