"truck was still on the tracks and the train hit it...."

In the United States there were 2,217 incidents involving motorists crossing railroad crossings. With 262 people dying and 840 injuries. Here is a recent incident that could have been much worse. It emphasizes the need to stop at railroad crossings:

Two people were injured one morning during the week of January 25, 2020 after a Trinity Railway Express train hit a flatbed semi-truck just east of downtown Fort Worth, Texas authorities said.

The truck driver was trying to turn left but the back end of the truck was still on the tracks and the train hit it, police said.

Two people on the passenger train suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to a MedStar spokesman. The injured people were being treated at the scene and didn’t need to be transported to a hospital, police said. About 50 people were on board the train when the accident happened.

The truck was trying to make a left turn from Riverside onto Galvez Avenue but was stopped by traffic and the back of the truck didn’t clear the tracks before the train came, authorities said. The railroad crossing does have safety gates but the truck reportedly had already started driving across the tracks before the gates lowered.

The train crew told passengers to move to the back of the train and pulled the emergency brake, authorities said. The truck’s trailer was hauling 30,000 pounds of aluminum that was knocked onto the street, police spokesman said.

Vehicle traffic was blocked in both directions until the aluminum was moved out of  the way. Traffic was shut down in both directions on Riverside Drive between Fourth Street and Galvez Avenue until Tuesday afternoon, Fort Worth police said.

TRE passengers also experienced delays, Dallas Area Rapid Transit said on Twitter. After the accident, commuters were boarding shuttle buses between Fort Worth Central Station and Richland Hills Station, DART said.

The tracks had been cleared and trains had started rolling again at the accident scene about 9 a.m.

We pray that the injured people in this incident recover fully. We are thankful that the train did not derail. This incident brought up the hazard of railroad crossings without warning signs or physical barriers. No doubt the trucker assumed he could get across. His assumption was wrong. His assumption could have easily been deadly wrong.

Please remember to stop at all railroad crossings.

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