At noon Friday (November 16), KRTS/KXWT News spoke with Midland Mayor Wes Perry about yesterday's tragic accident. Mayor Perry updated listeners on the conditions of the wounded, and reflected on the mood of the Permian Basin community after the tragedy. The station also spoke with Norm Caron, who was working at Unlimited Auto Sales on the corner of Front and Garfield Street at the time of the crash. Caron described the scene, and the heroic action of the vets after the crash.
At 4:30 PM in the afternoon on Thursday (November 15), an eastbound Union Pacific train ran into a parade float travelling south on Garfield Street in Midland TX, killing four former soldiers. The float was on the way to a parade for wounded military veterans and their families.
Two of the victims died on the scene, while two others died at Midland Memorial Hospital. More than a dozen other people were hospitalized. As of noon today, four victims remain at Midland Memorial Hospital. Three are in stable condition and one is in critical condition. One additional victim was airlifted to medical facilities in Lubbock after the crash. Mayor Perry reporter that her condition has improved overnight.