HOUSTON, Feb 14 (NNN-XINHUA) — A train slammed into an 18-wheeler at a railroad crossing near Huffman, Texas on Monday, killing the truck driver and causing derailment near Splendora, south-central U.S. state of Texas, authorities said.
More than a dozen of train cars derailed, according to the fire department.
The accident did not pose a threat to the public since the train was hauling non-toxic household goods, said a report from local media outlet Fox26 Houston.
Splendora Police Department said the train was heading south when the truck crossed the tracks and was hit.
The 18-wheeler was dragged half a mile down the tracks and totally destroyed, said Splendora Police Chief Wally Wieghat.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, Texas experienced 1,123 railroad crossing accidents from 2014 to 2018 – more than any other state in the nation and the only one to exceed 1,000 crashes during that period.
In 2020 alone, Texas reported 191 railroad crossing crashes that resulted in 67 deaths, the highest totals in the country.
Texas law requires motorists to yield the right of way to trains, and it’s illegal to cross tracks when a train is visible or to drive around lowered gates. However, about half of the railroad crossing accidents that occur each year in the United States involve sites that lack lights, gates, or other warning devices. — NNN-XINHUA
