A fund has been established for the family of Local 1957 member Stacy Rieger, a BNSF conductor, who was killed Dec. 18 when his head reportedly struck a bridge beam while leaning over the railing of his moving locomotive’s side running board in an attempt to check the fuel level in a fuel-tank sight glass.
Local 1957 member Caleb Butler set up a benefit account in Stacy’s name at Community Bank to aid Rieger’s family. Community Bank is located at 645 North 5th St., Silsbee, TX 77656-4040. The phone is (409) 386-6058; the account number is 51036468.
Rieger’s wake is Wed., Dec. 21, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Broussard’s Funeral Home in Silsbee, Texas. The funeral will be Thurs., Dec. 22, at 4 p.m at Crestwood Baptist Church on Highway 69 in Lumberton, Texas.
Rieger, 41, of Lumberton, was a four-year member of Local 1957, Silsbee.
He is survived by his wife, Ann, four daughters and a stepdaughter.
According to reports, Rieger, after striking his head, tumbled from the locomotive down a 48-foot embankment into the Navasota River. Emergency responders, summoned by the locomotive engineer, pronounced Rieger dead at the scene.
The nighttime accident occurred some 80 miles northwest of Houston, in Grimes County, at milepost 26.8 of the BNSF Conroe Subdivision.
The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating the accident.
Rieger is the tenth UTU member killed on duty in 2011, two more than were killed during calendar year 2010.
SMART Union