The Kansas Highway Patrol has reported that Ronald R. Neilson, 62, of Scranton, Kan., was killed Thursday morning when his vehicle was struck by a train at a crossing on 189th Street, south of Burlingame, Kan.
KHP reported the accident happened about 10:05 a.m. Feb. 9, 2023, at a location about 1/3 mile east of state Highway 31 on 189th Street in Osage County. KHP said Neilson was driving a 2021 Subaru Forester westbound on the road, started to cross the railroad tracks, and for an unknown reason, failed to yield to the oncoming BNSF train, and the vehicle was struck by the train. Neilson was pronounced dead at the scene. Other local media sources reported the northbound train was unable to stop for almost a mile north of the crossing, which is a little more than a mile south of Burlingame.
A staff member at Scranton Post Office confirmed Neilson was a local rural mail carrier for the Scranton area. The Carbondale postmaster said she could not discuss if Neilson was on his mail route at the time or other details of the accident. She said Neilson had worked for the post office for more than 30 years.