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Police catch Minnesota truck-train crash on dash cam
Further proof of how right Ron White was when he said “No matter what you try YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID, stupid is forever.”. It’s likely that the tractor was totaled but it looks like the trailer will still be usable!
Unbelievable, except it happens all the time. There have been many news reports of of Operation Lifesaver where the local police ride along with train crews that show people disregard horns and warning lights, even people who walk right in front of the train. Thank heavens no one was hurt in this case, too often the results are not as good.
Mr. Darwin in action!
“waive?”
hopefully the moron driving the truck lost his job.
Its nice to know the radio station that the officer listens to.
I have investigated multiple accidents of this kind. A semi-trailer rig driver accelerating from a stop with the windows closed at a signalled railroad crossing without gates can see the flashing warning lights, but given the nosie level in the cab he may not hear the bell or the locomotive horn. The crossing angle is a factor in this one, given the roadway angle to the track and the viewing angle of the trucker in the cab.Traffic fixation on the vehicle ahead happens all the time and causes not only reflex reaction by the driver in the trailing vehicle, but can cause accidents of this type as well. I have seen this happen at signaled street intersections as well, with fatal consequences. This driver is lucky, and so is the crew. An accident similar to this one at a signalled crossing in a small town that I evaluated caused a crossing collision with a loaded semi that derailed and overturned the locomotives and the freight cars in a train moving at 50MPH. The locomotive struck the loaded trailer and not the tractor, so the trucker was uninjured but the train crew were both injured, and one of the two never worked again due to his injuries. The train had a loaded hazmat car several cars behind the locomotive in the pileup which necessitated a precautionary evacuation of all résidents with a 1.5km radius of the accident until the condition of the hazmat xar could be determined. driver actions have conséquences which can be unforeseeable. See tracks, think train. All the time.
She would be ready but she’d always make him wait. He’d end up blowing all his wages for the week, just for a cuddle and a peck on the cheek. Come dancinnnnn…
At least no one was injured. The driver is going to get a 60 day vacation. Grade crossing violations carry a mandatory 60 day suspension of CDL privileges for a first offense. This is enforced by FMCSA upon notification of the accident irregardless of any state actions.If a driver tries wants to avoid this penalty, they have to prove their case(ie the driver was blameless) to USDOT.
Wouldn’t it be nice if drivers of 4 wheel vehicles had this penalty.
There was also the stop sign right before the crossing…can’t tell if he stopped for that or not, but it looks like he didn’t stop fully just maybe rolled through. He was going slow enough that there is no way that driver did not see the flashing lights. He was probably upset about the inspection and was not paying attention to what was up ahead, but to go from being stopped when the crossing lights are already flashing and driving right into the path of the train. Hard to understand why some people STILL are unable to process the concept of TRAIN TRACKS AHEAD, LIGHTS ARE FLASHING, GATES ARE DOWN, I AM SUPPOSED TO STOP. Also kudos to the officer…running to see if the truck driver and train crew were OK and just acting concerned about everyone, plus he listens to good music!
What we need here is PTC “Positive Truck Control.” Every truck cab shall be mandated to be equipped so that in the event a driver does not acknowledge a grade crossing gate the truck automatically brakes and stops. Said in jest but in another 20 years of the “nanny state” who knows?!
Mr. Norton, If you’ve been following OTR trucking developments, “PTC” for trucks is already under consideration. I, myself, am skeptical of it, but there are folks in trucking management who are pressing very hard for autonomous (self driving) trucks.
The train crew is probably thanking their lucky stars that truck was not a fuel tanker!
So after watching this video I should be somewhat distraught, at the very least, but because stupidity is so commonplace these days, all I’m left with is a feeling of nostalgia for the good old 1980’s due to the police officer’s choice in music…“Out of my window…I can see them in the moonlight…two silhouettes saying goodnight…by the garden gate”…
67 year old truck driver? There’s few things sadder than someone who’s old enough to know better, and doesn’t.
Makes you wonder how many close calls that driver had in his career before his luck finally ran out.
I am in high school and am taking Drivers Ed. About a mouth ago we where going over railroad safety and driving over the railroad crossings. I will pass it on to my teacher tomorrow and ask her to show the video in class.
Love the Minnesota accents. Feel like I’m watching “Fargo”.
I am not defending the truck driver at all. What I think happened was the driver was just really upset/angry/scared or whatever from being pulled over and simply just wasn’t thinking due to high level of anxiety. Have you ever been pulled over? It can be a scary and nerve wrecking experience. Not everyone handles it well.
I just showed the video to my drivers ed. teacher and she said that it was crazy and the video well be showed tomorrow.