What happens when a semi-truck carrying oversized cargo gets stuck on the railroad tracks? Well, there are a few different possible outcomes but in the case of this spring, the worst case scenario occurs – a truck gets hit by a train. Luckily, no one was hurt but it was definitely a nice sight to behold.
This new video has gone viral on social media showing half a heavy hit on the track in Fabens, Texas. The accident occurred on October 9 when the truck towing the Lowboy trailer was stuck on the tracks for about 10 minutes. No one could react fast enough and a train ended up hitting the trailer at about 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour).
The video above shows the moment the train arrives with several people waving at it trying to signal an obstacle ahead. Obviously, that didn’t help much and the composition of the train hit a trailer that was reportedly carrying roughly 50,000 pounds (22,670 kilograms) of cargo. Seeing how the weight was tossed like a cardboard box, it’s crazy to think that it weighed nearly 23 tons. The train engine reportedly skidded but remained upright. Semi, in turn, is a total loss.
It is worth pointing out that there are already police on site trying to prevent a bigger accident from happening. It might not be possible to notify the train operator in advance and ask them to stop the train, but at least the area around the intersection is free of people and other vehicles.
Guys, we have one piece of advice. When there’s an obstacle on the tracks and it’s that big, plus the train is approaching an intersection, you’d better stand further than the guy with the camera in this video. We’re grateful for the footage, but in the event of a derailment, things could have gotten much worse, possibly life threatening.
