About 7:30 a.m., eastern daylight time, on Saturday, June 29, 1996, westbound Consolidated Rail Corporation (CR) freight train TV-77 struck a Loram Badger ditch digger near Lyons, New York. The accident occurred on CR's River Line at milepost (MP) 332.2. There are two main tracks; one is designated main track 1 and the other, main track 2. The Ditch Digger was working on track 2 and obstructing track 1. The left-front side of train TV-77's lead locomotive unit, CR 5016, struck the Ditch Digger's conveyor belt which was extending across track 1. The impact crushed the nose and the south side of the locomotive cab. Train TV-77 had an engineer and a conductor. The conductor was fatally injured as a result of the impact. There were no reported injuries to the engineer or to the crew of the Ditch Digger. The collision occurred with the train moving 20 mph and in emergency braking. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were overcast skies, with an ambient temperature reported at 65° F.