Members of Ardmore’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church are mourning the loss of a former pastor.
Larry Benny Williams died Friday when a Union Pacific train hit a tanker truck near Medford. Williams was the conductor on the train. According to Mt. Zion Deacon James Nash, Williams had also served as pastor of the local church from 1990 to 1997.
“He was an excellent preacher and an excellent pastor. We loved him,” Nash said.
Williams left the Ardmore church when he accepted a similar position at a Kansas City church in 1997.
In addition to his work as a pastor, Williams was a Union Pacific employee.
“He went back to work for the railroad about three years ago. He had worked for the railroad for years before being called to preach,” Nash said.
According to accident reports, the propane tanker truck was on the tracks when the train approached. Officials said Williams and engineer Richard D. Pardarvis both died at the scene.
The truck driver, Dennis Wayne Etherton, was air-lifted to a Wichita hospital, where he later died from his injuries. No other injuries were reported as a result of the crash that triggered an explosion.
