Reuters reports that a garbage-filled dump truck trying to race across the tracks ahead of an Amtrak train this morning simply didn’t make it. Nor did the driver. Downeaster train 681, headed from Boston to Portland, Maine crashed in North Berwick at 11am. Four of the train’s 112 passengers were injured.
“The truck caught fire soon after the impact,” said Maine State Police Public Information Officer Stephen McCausland. “Some of the passenger cars actually drove through the wall of flames.” The train even managed to continue down the track for half a mile before stopping. Ambulances and officials raced to the scene shortly thereafter. However, “the vast majority of the passengers onboard were unscathed, and those hurt are being treated for only minor injuries.”
And Tom Gorski, a witness who works in the area, told the Associated Press:
“It looked like somebody dropped a bomb,” witness Tom Gorski told the wire service. “The flames were shooting higher than a three-story house. It brings tears to your eyes.”
As for the truck driver, his family is presently being notified about his death.
Image: Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock
Tim
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 9:25 AMIt amazes me that someone could risk their own and so many others lives to simply save time.
Martin
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:14 AMunfortunately that is the current state of today’s society. they would rather risk their lives and the lives of others so that they wont be late. the number of near misses that I have had with people running through red traffic lights is unbeleivable.
Damo
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:22 AMYou’re right – but so many of us do it every day in traffic (myself included). Not sure why this story is appearing here though.
Ollie
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:09 AMYep, for the sake of the couple of minutes it takes for the train to pass.
Sam
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 1:23 PMIt’s actually very common. Even in Tassie where there’s less than 20 mainline train movements a day, they still have 10-20 near misses reported each week.
As far as the comment of “… The train even managed to continue down the track for half a mile before stopping…” is concerned, trains don’t just stop on a 50 cent piece. Yes, they can pull up with a metre or two’s accuracy at a train platform, but the driver has usually started braking a couple of clicks ago without you even noticing it. Braking time and distance is worse again on a freight train, where the gross weight is often a good 10-20 times heavier.
Franz
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 7:22 PMGood thing no one on the train was killed.
Bill
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 8:44 AM79 mph is 115 ft/sec – a five-car Amtrak train moving at that speed would clear the crossing in about 3-4 seconds – what a waste of a life – guess that’s why there are Darwin awards given to commemorate stupid ways people kill themselves!