PRESS RELEASE

Railroad Car Derailment

- July 16, 2011 -

City of Fridley, MN

This morning at 0713 hrs, Fridley Police were dispatched to a

call of train derailment over Rice Creek. Upon their arrival, officers found seventeen railroad cars and two locomotives

derailed. Two crew members were transported by ambulance to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

All indications up to this point, the incident is a result of a

bridge wash-out from the significant rainfall last night. We are asking the public not to use Rice Creek (west of University

Avenue NE) for recreation purposes.

The rail cars contained corn; and the Fridley Fire Department is

containing the diesel fuel that was spilled. This incident is

under investigation by Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the

Fridley Fire and Police Departments.