Moving train loses cars; local man lands in jail
Officials allege suspect hopped train, unhooked several rail cars
A moving freight train lost half of its cars Saturday when a local man allegedly unhooked them in Little River County after hopping the train in Texarkana, authorities said.
Robert Foster,
31, of Texarkana, Texas, is being held at the Little River County jail in Ashdown, Ark., pending a bond hearing today.
Officials believe Foster rode the Kansas City Southern freight train 40 miles north to Winthrop, Ark., according to initial reports from the Little River County Sheriff’s Department.
North of Alleene, Ark., Foster allegedly forced several connectors loose from the car, causing the train to separate in half and locking up the brakes, Sanders said.
The disconnected section stopped about a mile north of Alleene, while the section containing the locomotives and Foster continued north 6 miles to near Winthrop, Ark., when a member of the railroad crew spotted Foster jump-
ing off the train.
Little River County Sheriff Deputy Jarrod Simmons was able to arrest Foster near the KCS Railroad crossing in Winthrop a brief time after receiving the report.
“Although he initially attempted to hide, Foster was arrested without further incident,” Sanders said.
“It is unclear as to the total cost incurred by the Kansas City Southern Railway Co., although initial estimates place it well above $5,000. The train was traveling approximately 45 mph when the cars were disconnected, and it remains unclear what, if any, freight was damaged in the incident,” Sanders said.
Foster is being charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief in the first degree. Because of the total cost of the damage, the charge is a Class C felony, which carries a sentence of three to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 if convicted.