Picton train crash: Driver narrowly escapes before freight train slams …
Picton train crash: Driver narrowly escapes before freight train slams into his truck
- Truck driver avoids injury after train slams into his rear trailer
- The truck had an untimely stall across a rail crossing in Picton
A truck driver narrowly escaped moments before a freight train ploughed into his semi-trailer that he stalled on a rail crossing.
Footage of the spectacular collision just before midday on Wednesday at Picton, in Sydney[2]'s southwest, shows the train carrying cement slam into the truck as the driver exits the cabin.
A major emergency operation was launched shutting down traffic in the area well into the evening.
Luckily the train driver was also able to walk away from the crash.
Video captured from a dashcam shows the driver fleeing from the truck while the trains blasts it's horn.
The train then smashes into the rear trailer at about 60km/h, causing some of the truck's load to spill out
Remarkably, the train remained on the tracks despite pushing the rear trailer out of its way.
'Initially it was a weighted response due to the potential of it being a passenger train and potentially carrying chemicals on the truck,' James Morris, NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman, said of the emergency efforts.
Picton Fire and Rescue confirmed the freight train was carrying '900 tonnes of concrete' at the time.
'Thankfully there were no injuries or other significant issues,' Picton Fire and Rescue wrote on Facebook.
The train remained on the tracks for some time after the collision, leading to numerous delays for both truckers and commuters.
Footage of the spectacular collision just before midday at Picton, in Sydney's southwest, shows the train carrying cement slam into the truck
Picton Fire and Rescue confirmed the freight train was carrying '900 tonnes of concrete' at the time
Numerous concrete truckers were spotted waiting for the collision to be removed so they could return to a concrete manufacturing centre.
'(I) can't go anywhere, may as well just sit here,' one worker told 9News while sitting alongside the road in a chair.
The collision on the freight-only line also caused delays for passenger trains.
'A limited number of buses are replacing trains between Picton and Campbelltown on the Southern Highlands Line due to an incident requiring emergency services near Picton,' a statement from the Transport Management Centre (TMC).
The TMC is investigating the circumstances into the collision.
References
- ^ Freddy Pawle For Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Sydney (www.dailymail.co.uk)