Train Collides with Truck Just After Driver Escapes in Nearby New York Town
A scary scene unfolded on Thursday morning, as a freight train collided head-on with a tractor-trailer truck in the town of Haverstraw, New York. The driver of the truck was somehow able to escape before the collision happened, which was a miraculous ending to a situation that we've seen turn deadly many times before.
We have the latest details on how it all unfolded, and who was responsible for keeping everybody safe ahead of the massive collision.
New Video Shows Train Hit Truck Stuck on Tracks in New York Town
A video began to circulate on Twitter Thursday morning, showing a tractor-trailer truck seemingly stuck on train tracks as it was attempting to pull through an intersection. As detailed in a report from ABC News 7, the truck was stuck on tracks in Haverstraw, New York, which is located roughly two hours south of Albany.
The crash happened at the intersection of Route 9W and New Main Street. As the truck was crossing the tracks, the heavy payload that was being hauled caused the truck to bottom-out, and get stuck on the tracks. Passersby were able to alert the police, who were on the scene to escort the driver away from the truck.
Moments later, this happened:
Based on the information provided in the report, it seems as though no one was hurt on either side of the crash, which is nothing short of miraculous. After the driver was removed from the truck, authorities worked quickly to block cars and pedestrians from entering the area in the moments before the collision, so no one else would be impacted.
So, what caused the truck to be weighed down so much that it bottomed out? The report claims that the truck was hauling a heavy load of titanium piping, enough to keep the truck from moving freely.
What the above map of the area does not show you, is that the tracks are at the top of a hill. The road is pretty flat as you drive up to the intersection, but you're met by a sudden incline leading up to the tracks, which further complicated things for the driver of the tractor-trailer.
The area around the train tracks will be shut down for a period of time as authorities clean up debris from the crash, according to the ABC news report. Luckily, however, that seems to be the most significant result to come from this near-tragedy, as everyone involved was able to walk away from this crash safely.
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