Driver Dies When Pickup Truck and Train Collide Along Kathleen Road

A driver was killed Tuesday afternoon when their pickup truck and a train collided on the tracks that run parallel to Kathleen Roads between Deeson and Spivey Roads.

It happened by the Kathleen Tire Shop at 3:25 p.m.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said there are no crossing arms there because it is private property. She said preliminary reports are the driver was trying to reach the tire shop when the accident happened.

One person was killed as they tried to cross over the railroad tracks at Kathleen Tire Shop. — One person was killed as they tried to drive over the railroad tracks in front of Kathleen Tire Shop. | Courtesy of Google maps.

The driver was identified as Abel Arocho, 36, of Kissimmee. He was driving a 2006 black Ford F-150.

The CSX cargo train was not hauling any cargo; its estimated speed was 55 mph. Sheriff’s department officials do not believe there were any passengers in the pickup truck.

The train was blocking several roads heading west from the tracks for about 2 1/2 hours. The PCSO Traffic Unit has been on-scene all afternoon and into the evening.

Another accident at the same spot in 2015 saw a CSX train collide with a semi hauling a car-carrier trailer. No one was injured in that accident, although several brand new cars were destroyed, The Ledger reported. The semi’s driver was cited in that accident.