NNG: Disgruntled employee steals, crashes train

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Gillette News Record
A jaunt on a stolen train Thursday ended in a crash and possible federal felony charges for the 22-year-old driver.

Derek Skyler Brux was charged Friday with reckless endangering, felony destruction of property and felony destruction, obstruction or removal of railroad track or fixtures after allegedly stealing a train from North Antelope Rochelle mine and driving it south 13 miles before plowing it into another train.

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The disgruntled employee then unhooked some cars and drove the locomotive around what is described as a “loop” at the site and “pretty much squashed the 'expletive' outta their scales,” Brux said, according to the affidavit.

Brux then called his supervisor and asked her if she wanted to play chicken, the affidavit says. He hung up the phone and then called the rail dispatch, advising personnel there he was going onto the main rail line.

Brux said he estimated he was going 60 mph for about 15 minutes before plowing through switch 1. He told deputies he did not know where he was headed and that he wanted to make Rail Link pay, the affidavit says.

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Brux finally crashed the train into another at NACCO Junction on BNSF rail mile marker 62.5.

“I wanted to see what it was like to hit something, so I hit at it,” Brux said, according to the affidavit. Brux then backed up and hit the train again. He estimates the speed of both collisions was under 10 mph.

Kerby Caves, a Rail Link Employee, arrived at the scene of the crash as Brux was attempting to leave the area, the affidavit says. Caves hit the emergency shut-off switch on the fuel tank, disabling the train.