At 3:57am Monday, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was called to a car-train crash one mile east of Cozad near Highway 30.
Deputies on scene discovered that a westbound Union Pacific train was traveling on the northernmost of three tracks when it collided with a 2013 Dodge Avenger that was facing southbound, sitting on the track. The sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as 69-year-old Sandy A. Starnes of Cozad, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jaws of Life were used by Cozad Fire and Rescue to extricate the driver from the vehicle. The Cozad Police Department and a Union Pacific Railroad Investigator assisted with the investigation. Sheriff Ken Moody says the investigation continues.
