Flying debris from derailed train narrowly misses Kansas child on bunk bed

GRANTVILLE, Kan. - A Kansas child is lucky to have been watching television on the top bunk of his bunk bed Monday night.

Jefferson County authorities say a piece of rail landed inside the child’s home just north of Grantville when a Union Pacific coal train derailed.

Grantville is a few miles east of Topeka and 25 miles west of Lawrence.

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig says no one was injured, but the child’s home was damaged by the piece of rail, which landed on the bottom bunk of the boy’s bed.

“It's a person's worst nightmare to have something like that come through your house and end up having an injury or a death,” Kaw Township Fire Chief Doug Brumbaugh said. “So we were really lucky this time that no one was hurt when that went through the house. “

Authorities say 23 coal cars of the 120 total derailed. The cause of the derailment remained under investigation Tuesday morning.