Woman killed in train and pick-up collision identified
Sharon Stevens, Education Reporter
KSDK -- A company spokesperson has identified the 31-year-old
female driver who died when her pick-up truck collided with an Amtrak Train in
Hartford, Illinois.
Colleagues say Heather Balven was a geo-technical engineer
for Terracon, an engineering firm based in Olathe, Kansas.
Fire officials on scene said Balven was driving eastbound on
7th Street when her vehicle was struck at an unmarked crossing near Olive in
Hartford, Illinois around 7:30 a.m. The train was estimated to be traveling 50
to 60 miles-per-hour at the time of the accident.
A tow truck operator on scene said that the nearly
demolished car was the worst he'd ever seen.
An Amtrak spokesperson said train 302 was headed from St.
Louis to Chicago. The train left downtown St. Louis at 6:40 a.m.
Authorities said as the train approached, Balven's car was
already on the tracks.
"Looking at the marks at the scene of the impact we
believe she was moving.. speed we don't know and we don't know if she was
trying to race the train," said Hartford Assistant Fire Chief David Owens.
No one on board the train was injured.
Terracon released a statement about the accident:
"We are still trying to get our hands around this.
We're trying to ascertain the facts. Our primary concern is her immediate
family and her Terracon family."
Company spokesperson Vanessa Zambo says Terracon will have
grief counselors available for both co-workers and family members.
