1940 Train-Truck Collision
Alamo, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On March 14, 1940, at this crossing of Tower Road and the Missouri Pacific rail line occurred an automobile accident resulting in the most fatalities on a Texas highway in the 20th century. An oncoming train collided with a truck carrying more than 40 agricultural workers, killing 34 of the workers, who ranged in age from ten to 48. The neighboring citrus packing plant served as headquarters for rescue operations. The tragedy affected many lives in the Alamo community and across the Rio Grande Valley, resulting in renewed attention to safety issues surrounding railroad crossings and the transportation of agricultural workers. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On March 14, 1940, a train struck a truck carrying more than 40 farmworkers at this crossing near Alamo, killing 34 people ranging in age from ten to forty-eight—the deadliest highway accident in Texas history. A neighboring citrus packing plant became the base for frantic rescue efforts. The disaster shook the Rio Grande Valley and spurred new attention to railroad-crossing safety and the treatment of agricultural laborers.
Why it matters
The tragedy exposed the dangers faced by farm laborers and helped drive reforms in transportation safety.
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Related events
- · 1940 Alamo train-truck collision
Themes & tags
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