Train crashes into tractor

Mar 30, 2024

by: Vivian Muniz, Julie Dunphy

Posted: Jun 13, 2023 / 11:29 AM EDT

Updated: Jun 13, 2023 / 06:55 PM EDT

BARNESVILLE, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A violent crash in Schuylkill County caused quite a mess on Tuesday.

A train crashed into a semi-truck this morning, thankfully no one was injured. But it is taking hours to clean up.

The tractor-trailer was split in two. Pouring car batteries all over Route 54 in Barnesville, a usually quiet community.

“This is beyond a mess, you got battery acid all over the place, hazmat needs to have it cleaned up,” said Richard Forester of Barnesville.

“Real chaotic it’s definitely really really chaotic up here. I mean it’s not a pretty scene but things happen,” explained Ryan Dunlap, of Barnesville.

Broken car batteries and battery acid fluid were scattered across Route 54 in Barnesville, Monday morning. After a train hit a tractor-trailer.

Richard Forester’s Home had a front-row view of the crash.

“And I heard a boom and then an unnoticeable emergency screeching of the brakes of the train. I looked out, the train stopped, big rig in two, and ‘ was like ‘oh no,'” Forester explained.

The crash happened just before 10:00 a.m. causing the tractor-trailer to split in two. The front of the train’s locomotive engine was dented But able to leave the scene. Thankfully the driver of the truck was uninjured.

“I went to see if the driver was ok, but the train conductor got there first,” said postal worker, Jennifer Parish.

Jennifer Parish was working inside the nearby post office at the time of the crash. She says she hears the trains come by all day.

“It’s a busy road train goes by multiple times a day,” Parish explained.

The truck driver tells Eyewitness News, he stopped ahead of the tracks and then heard the train’s whistle.

He says there was a car behind him so he couldn’t back up, putting him into a panic. He claimed he didn’t see the railroad crossing lights come on.

Those who live nearby wish there was more done to alert drivers at the railroad crossing.

“We could put maybe the arms that come down, to help stop traffic instead of having traffic cut over and try to race the train and stuff,” Dunlap added.

This cleanup is still underway and it’s a team effort. A local towing company, PennDOT, local volunteer fire departments, and Reading and Blue Mountain Railroad, are all on the scene.

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