Officials say Stuttgart train derailment due to straight-line winds

STUTTGART, Ark.- The communities of Stuttgart and Ulm were shocked by the damage that winds and one train can do Friday night.

“I’ve never seen this, I’ve lived here all my life and never seen a derailment,” Vera Doepell said.

Crews respond to train derailment on Highway 79 northeast of Stuttgart

Stuttgart Airport reports winds up to 63 mph during Friday night’s storms. Officials on the scene confirmed that the straight-line winds caused the derailment.

Doepell and her husband were driving home after getting groceries for the holiday weekend and their cookout when their son called to tell them of the derailment.

A few moments later, they were driving up on the scene and found that they would have to take a different way home.

“Are you aware that there’s a car across the highway,” Doepell said as she called 911.

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A train car blocked Highway 79 at the county lines of Arkansas, Prairie, and Monrow.

Several train cars were involved in the incident, but no injuries were reported.

“When it derailed, it broke apart, the train came out on the highway,” Jerry Lee, Ulm Fire Department Chief, said.

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First Responders and specialized crews working together to clean up the incident with lots of progress happening not even 24 hours later.

“It’s a small community. We all kind of come together at times like this,” Lee said.

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