In the Line of Duty: Bruce A. Dominique Jr.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, September 12 — Brother Bruce A. Dominique Jr., a member of BLET Division 219 in Shreveport, Louisiana, was killed in a railroad accident on September 6, 2019. He was 36 years old.
Employed by the Union Pacific Railroad, Brother Dominique hired out as a trainman with UP on December 31, 2012, and earned promotion to locomotive engineer on June 24, 2018. He joined the Brotherhood on February 1, 2019.
According to media reports, Brother Dominique was severely injured when an 18-wheeler collided with his train at a grade crossing on West 70th Street at Kennedy Drive in Shreveport. He was taken to Ochsner LSU Health hospital where he died at 4:25 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board is not investigating this fatal accident.
Brother Michael D. Stokes, close friend and fellow member of Division 219, said Brother Dominique was hard working and had a generous nature. He loved working for the railroad.
“He was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back,” Brother Stokes said. “He loved railroading. He lived and breathed it.”
When not on duty, Brother Dominique enjoyed model railroading, railroad photography, collecting railroad memorabilia, and studying railroad history. He built his own model railroad, the Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas & Eastern (aka “LATE”). Brother Dominique worked for the Kansas City Southern as an engineer and trainman before joining the Union Pacific. Brother Stokes said Dominique ran the KCS business train, the Southern Belle, on a couple of occasions.
Prior to his railroad career, Brother Dominique was an officer with the Bossier City Police Department. Brother Stokes said Dominique was especially close to his mother and father. Brother Dominique is survived by his father Bruce, brother Christopher “Chad” Speir, and wife Christina. Sadly, his mother Anita passed away on July 24, 2019.
A visitation will be held on September 14 from 1-3 p.m. at the Hill Crest Memorial Chapel (601 Hwy. 80, Haughton, LA, phone: (318) 949-9415), with a Celebration of Life beginning at 3 p.m. at the same location. For more information, or to leave online condolences, please visit the Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home website.
“It is a terrible tragedy when someone so young is taken from us,” BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce said. “On behalf of the BLET National Division, I extend our deepest condolences to Brother Dominique’s family and to all his friends and co-workers.”
Thursday, September 12, 2019
bentley@ble-t.org