Staff Reports
COLUMBUS — The Bartholomew County Coroner’s office has confirmed the identity of a Columbus city utilities employee who died Wednesday after the utilities truck he was driving collided with a CSX train north of Columbus on Wednesday.
Brandon S. Hendershot, 26, Columbus, was pronounced dead at Columbus Regional Hospital after being transported there following the 12:40 p.m. Wednesday accident, the coroner’s office said. Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting said Hendershot died from blunt force trauma to the head.
The Columbus Police Department and Indiana State Police are continuing an investigation into the accident.
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On Wednesday night, the city of Columbus sent out a statement identifying Hendershot, who had worked as a water distribution laborer for the Columbus city utilities since September 2019.
“He was beloved by his family and co-workers,” the statement from Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop said. “Our hearts go out to everyone who has been a part of Brandon’s life. My wife, Pam, and I both offer our sincere prayers and support to Brandon’s family.”
The accident happened at railroad tracks at Indianapolis and Long roads, south of U.S. 31 in a “v”-shaped intersection that crosses the railroad tracks across from Heritage Automotive Sales.
When first responders arrived, passersby were attempting to help Hendershot, Columbus police said.
Columbus firefighters from Engine 2 said when they got to the scene, Hendershot was already out of the vehicle. City police confirmed the dump truck involved was a Columbus utilities vehicle, although it was not marked with the city utilities logo. Investigators had noted the vehicle had municipal plates.
John Goldman, Louisville & Indiana Railroad president, which owns and operates the railroad line, said a CSX train using the tracks was traveling southbound when the accident happened. The railroad crossing has railroad crossing signs, lights and a cantilever over the crossing, also with lights.
Investigators doing the accident reconstruction are determining whether the lights were operating properly as the train approached and noted there is not a gate at the intersection.
Indiana State Police spokesman Stephen Wheeles said accident reconstructionists will determine whether the equipment was functioning properly, and added the warning lights were flashing when the first responders arrived at the accident scene.
Hendershot’s truck also collided with the cantilever pole and brought the warning light structure down to the ground after the collision.
Goldman said trains are not being rerouted off the Louisville & Indiana tracks as construction continues at the railroad overpass at the State Road 46 and State Road 11 railroad crossing on Columbus’ west side. He estimated that CSX is running about two trains per day on the line from Louisville to Indianapolis, and there may be as many as four trains using the tracks on any given day.
Columbus officials have warned community residents about increased train traffic on the Louisville & Indiana tracks, which have been leased to CSX for high speed rail.
One of the main cautions officials have given is that trains are now traveling northbound and southbound on the tracks between Louisville and Indianapolis, and are allowed to travel at higher speeds. Many area residents are not accustomed to the idea of the tracks being used for southbound train traffic.
Louisville & Indiana Railroad officials notified Columbus and Bartholomew County that longer, heavier and faster CSX trains are traveling through Columbus and Bartholomew County on L&I’s rail system. Louisville & Indiana Railroad and CSX Transportation won approval in April 2015 from the federal Surface Transportation Board to use L&I’s 106-mile mainline between Louisville and Indianapolis jointly and upgrade it to high-speed rail.
