news Freight train collides with car carrier in West Nyack, hospitalizing one

[Harry]

 

A freight train collided with a tractor trailer hauling cars in a spectacular crash in West Nyack Friday. The truck, hauling five vehicles and a motorcycle, was crossing the tracks at Pineview Road Crossing, about 15 miles northwest of Manhattan, when it was hit by the northbound train about 11:40 a.m., officials said. The train had 99 cars. There is no mechanical gate or flashing lights at the train tracks. “The train blew it's horn but the train can’t stop in that short a distance,” said Sgt. Glenn Cummings of the Clarkstown police department. "They collided on the track." The truck driver, a 55-year-old man from Jacksonville, Florida, was ejected upon impact. The truck separated from its trailer and was pushed 500 yards down the track, spilling 75 gallons of diesel, police said.

Read more: Source

[Missabassie]

Good lawd! You know what they say, look both ways before crossing...

Then again, there is the possibility the trucker tried (in vain) to beat the train.

[peacemak3r]

I would have expected every railroad crossing to be equipped with some sort of crossing gates or something.  I want to say this was a clear accident, but as Missabassi says, I'm sure the trucker as well tried to beat the train.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

It's a good thing the tracks didn't run alongside a waterway, or the damage would've been more than one person.

[Turbo19]

Horrible. At least the crew seems to be fine.

[theaveragejoe]

I would have expected every railroad crossing to be equipped with some sort of crossing gates or something.  I want to say this was a clear accident, but as Missabassi says, I'm sure the trucker as well tried to beat the train.

 

 

From a cost point, its not possible to have crossing gates and or bells at the 100000's of grade crossings across the North American rail networking without some government funding.