Freight train in Texas smashes through semi-truck hauling wind turbine blade, video shows
Police said no injuries were reported
A freight train barreled through a semi-truck that was carrying what appeared to be a piece of a wind turbine as the 18-wheeler drove over the tracks at a rail crossing in Texas on Sunday.
The crash happened just after 2:30 p.m. in downtown Luling, a city located about 50 miles south of Austin.
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Police said the crossing was clear when the truck attempted to pass but that the gates came down before the vehicle could fully clear the tracks, FOX7 Austin reported.
A semi-truck carrying what appeared to be the long blade of a wind turbine was struck by a freight train on Sunday in Luling, Texas. (KTBC FOX7 Austin)
Bystanders at the scene captured video of the 18-wheeler crossing the tracks when the gates drop down on top of the vehicle. The freight train crashes through the truck’s bed, which appears to be hauling the blade of a wind turbine, resulting in the truck’s cab overturning.
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Police said no one suffered injuries in the incident, FOX7 reported. It was not immediately clear to what extent the freight train was damaged.
A woman who said she was the truck driver’s wife responded to video posted on Facebook. She wrote that to her understanding, "it was a tight squeeze" through the downtown intersection with the large blade, and the front pilot driver exited his vehicle to make sure the truck could clear the area.
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She said there were no flashing lights or bars down when they started to cross the tracks, and had no way of knowing that a train would be coming. When they were alerted to the oncoming train, the pilot driver jumped into his vehicle to move it while her husband attempted to move the 18-wheeler.
"We are giving God the glory that there was (sic) no injuries!" the woman wrote.
Luling police and the Union Pacific railroad police are investigating the incident.