A railroad worker was struck and killed by a locomotive he was operating by remote control. The death of Jody Allen Herstine has revived a debate over whether the devices assist rail workers or threaten their safety The locomotive hit the 37-year-old worker just before 1 a.m. on December 7 at the Union Pacific rail yards on San Antonio's near East Side.
Herstine was using the waist-mounted device to operate two locomotives when the accident happened. Authorities did not know if the five-year Union Pacific switchman was hit from the front or from behind.
The National Safety Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating.
