Train hits trailer stuck on Hancock County railroad tracks; no one hurt
FORTVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — No one was hurt after a flatbed trailer was hit by a freight train Thursday morning in Hancock County, the sheriff’s office said.
At around 9:30 a.m., the truck hauling the trailer attempted to cross some railroad tracks on County Road 400 West near State Road 67. That’s an area southwest of Fortville, about three miles north of Mt. Vernon High School.
The flatbed trailer became high-centered, got stuck on the tracks, and was hit by an oncoming train, according to Capt. Robert Harris, law enforcement division commander with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
The truck’s cab spun around and struck the caboose of the train, causing it to detach but not derail. The trailer briefly caught fire but was put out by firefighters, Harris says.
The truck driver got out of the truck before the collision and was not hurt. No one on the train was injured.
Harris says the truck driver disregarded nearby signs telling semitrailers not to cross the railroad tracks because they will get stuck.
“Today the driver stated he saw the sign but figured he would try to cross anyway because he had nowhere else to turn around,” Harris said in a statement.
The railroad tracks were damaged in the crash and rail operator CSX was expected to spend several hours making repairs.