Stranded Vehicle Struck By Train, Causing $60,000 In Damages

A unoccupied vehicle stranded on the railroad tracks in Holbrook was struck by a train early last Friday morning.
At approximately 3:42 a.m. on Aug. 3, officers with the Holbrook Police Department responded to a report that a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) train had struck a car that was high centered on the tracks just west of the intersection of the railroad tracks and Navajo Blvd.
The vehicle that was struck, a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier, apparently became high centered on the westbound tracks and abandoned by the driver. The vehicle was registered to Brett or Bobby Massey of Apache, Okla. Bret Massey is a former resident of Holbrook, and was later found sleeping at his mother’s house in the 1300 block of West Florida Street. Massey was charged with burglary, trespassing and criminal damage, and was booked into the Navajo County Jail.
No one was injured during this accident, an estimated $60,000 in damage was sustained by BNSF property, including portions of the rail and the train itself. Massey’s vehicle was totally destroyed, but no value was given.
The engineer of the train was John Bollin of Winslow and the conductor was Damien Hendricks of Flagstaff.