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Truck driver charged in Baltimore derailment
And he wasn’t wearing his seat belt!!
The article is wrong. Only truck drivers hauling hazardous materials are required to stop between 15 AND 50 feet from a railroad crossing, unless is it posted exempt, controlled with a traffic light, or an officer is present directing traffic and motioning the driver to proceed. All other truck drivers do not have to stop, unless the lights are flashing and the gates, if any, are down, a stop sign is present, a traffic light is present and indicates stop, or an officer directing traffic signals the driver to stop. This information is readily available and consistent in all 50 states and Canadian provinces.
I was not there, so I am not going to defend the driver. However if it was determined he was hauling hazmat and failed to stop per the law, his driving days are over.
Yes he needs to face the music on from this accident. Maybe it will wake up the rest of the trucking industry to stop look and listen at railroad crossings.
Sam, you and i both know we see this going on all the time its about time the police start enforcing the law more often
You could get dozens of those near misses a day if police would watch crossings better. Think of the windfall for stacking the tickets. And guys like this might start to think ONCE.
I hope they ‘havg him high’ - make an example of him. How many truck drivers do we have out there that drive as though the rules of safety don’t apply to truckers - that they ‘own’ the highway. I hope he’s encouraged to find a profession he can handle safely.
Why can’t they put cameras at railroad crossings that activate when the lights go on and fine anyone who violates the law. They do it on the NYS Thruway at toll booths - they do it at some stoplights. The technology exists.
The locomotives have cameras fitted, mainly for evidence in crossing incidents like this.
When a little bitty tractor trailer meets a Giant 200 ton locomotive, and the rest of the cars behind, they are always the loser. The sad part is all of the havoc that is created.
Guse, you are an ignoramus on this one. The driver of the truck failed to stop at a crossing that was not protected by lights and gates. In addition, the grade crossing where the accident occurred was a private crossing, which you ARE required to stop at in most states. Also, the company, of which the truck driver was the owner, had been cited numerous times for various major DOT violations. This guy is very lucky to be charged. thY MSP with the offenses listed. By the time FMCSA is done with him, he will be lucky enough to be able to operate a scooter!
THE ARTICLE READ= HAPPENED AT PRIVATE RAILROAD CROSSING…= I AM NOT SUPPORTING THIS GUY, BUT DOES THE POLICE HAVE AUTHORITY TO PATROL PRIVATE RR CROSSINGS IN THIS STATE??? …THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO SEVERAL COMMENTS
Yet another crossing accident caused by a truck driver.
Jeffrey, if you weren’t trying to defend the driver, you did a pretty good job. He’s liable and you know it.
We need to charge those who fail to follow the law causing the accident.
Hi folks. As a strong supporter of the railroad industry, I always feel for train crews, their families, passengers on board, and other innocent folks involved with grade crossing incidents. We need our trucking community also. They do serve a valuable service for all of us in some way, yes even for the rail industry too. I do support more trucks back on rails however. But folks, although tractor/trailers are large in size and in the news, please remember the almost countless other drivers with a car or pickup truck that daily challenge the train at crossings. I have driven large trucks, and small cars, even moved a GP-9 in a switching move. I still see close calls all the time from the full spectrum of drivers. If anyone is caught driving with safety not job one, then throw the book at them no matter what they drive. Stupidity comes in many shapes and sizes. Happy birthday America!
Too many truck drivers ignore RR crossings and think they can beat the train. They are either new to driving or just plain ignorant. As was said, truck vs train is a no brainer when figuring out which one will win. I hope they make him pay for ALL the damages.
Shame on CBS and the Evening News With Scott Pelley. CBS reported this accident as if it were the railroad’s fault.
As a holder of a CDL (commercial driver license) you have additional testing compared to regular driver license and one is supposed to be a cut above the average driver, One part of testing covers railroad crossings private or otherwise and there is no excuse for not stopping a truck before crossing regardless if a train is coming or not. Unless…he was in a hurry???