Fallon, Nev., June 24: Acts of selfless bravery

A United Transportation conductor died and another wasinjured in a fiery grade crossing collision at Fallon, Nev., last Friday thatalso took the lives of five other people. The story behind that story is toldin a tribute posted Wednesday on the union's website, www.utu.org. Someexcerpts:

"In utter disregard of their own safety, these UTUconductor heroes braved intense flames and choking smoke, repeatedly returninginside two burning Amtrak passenger cars to save the lives of dozens ofdisoriented, injured and frightened passengers – passengers who otherwise wouldhave been hopelessly trapped in the burning wreckage hit by a tractor-trailer combinationat highway-rail grade crossing….

"Six died in this tragic Amtrak accident; many morelikely would have had it not been for these UTU conductor heroes.

"In the harrowing moments following the accident,assistant conductor and UTU Local 166 member Richard d’Alessandro, whoinitially was knocked unconscious in a dormitory car that took the initial hitfrom the truck, recovered finding himself lying outside in the desert todiscover his arm broken and a finger missing…..

"He climbed back into the burning cars, worked his waythrough the dark smoke and flames in search of passengers who were completelydisoriented – many injured – leading one, then another, and still others tosafety through emergency exit windows….

"Also in the dormitory car was off-duty conductor andUTU Local 1525 (Carbondale, Ill.) member Loxie Sanders, traveling to Californiato be with a daughter facing surgery. With flames surrounding him, Sandersknocked out emergency windows, joining with d"Alessandro to lead injured,disoriented and frightened passengers to safety.

"Only when all passengers he could find had been led tosafety did Sanders, suffering from smoke inhalation, exit the burning car. Buthe went back. He went back in search of 68-year-old conductor and UTU Local 166member Laurette Lee, whom he found dead under a metal door. Ignoring the flamesand dense smoke, Sanders lifted the body and carried it outside the car away fromthe all-consuming flames."