It should come as no surprise that any vehicle trying to beat a train at a crossing will be the loser if caught in a collision. An analogy to put it into perspective would be this: a train hitting a vehicle would be the equivalent of that vehicle hitting an aluminum soda can in force. Still, numerous train versus vehicle collisions still happen yearly. Preliminary numbers for 2017 show that there were 2,105 such collisions which resulted in 274 fatalities and 807 injuries. WSB Radio reports on a truck carrying hydrochloric acid that was involved in a train crash.
Last Tuesday morning in Fredericktown, Pennsylvania a truck carrying hydrochloric acid was struck by a train just before 11 a.m. according to emergency dispatchers.
The truck was carrying some 4,400 gallons of hydrochloric acid and the train was carrying diesel fuel. Hazmat crews worked to clean up the spillage from the accident.
A medevac transported the driver of the truck to a Pittsburgh hospital. Others at the scene had to be treated for exposure to hydrochloric acid. Nearby homes had to be evacuated due to the spill.
The accident carried the truck carrying the acid about 100 yards from the initial spot of the collision. It was not immediately clear what caused the accident to occur.
A truck driver experienced in carrying hazardous materials happened to be working nearby and rushed to the driver’s aid. He was able to get the driver an oxygen mask to protect him from the clouds of hydrochloric acid.
The same clouds made it difficult for emergency responders to get to the scene.
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