2015: Maryville, TN
In July 2015, a 57-car train owned and operated by CSX Transportation derailed outside of Maryville, Tennessee; the axel failed under a car carrying 24,000 gallons of acrylonitrile, a chemical used to make plastic that can damage the nervous system and liver. Authorities ordered 5,000 people to evacuate after the crash caused a fire, and at least 87 people had to be treated for a range of medical conditions including respiratory issues and nausea; 36 went to the hospital. A Federal Railroad Administration report issued two years later failed to find a cause for the accident.
