Union Pacific Train Crushes Concrete Truck, Injures Driver At Unguarded Crossing
(San Benito, Texas – April 4, 2012)
The driver of a cement mixing truck, returning to his base to re-load, was injured Wednesday afternoon about 2:45 P.M. when his truck was hit by a freight train at the dangerous, unguarded crossing of Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the entrance road to the Magic Valley Concrete facility just off the frontage road of U.S. Expressway 77/83 in San Benito, TX.
There are no active, automatic protective devices such as flashing lights, bells or gates at the crossing, which is marked only with passive signage.
The southbound train virtually disassembled the concrete mixing truck, broad-siding it and casting the wreckage into a trackside ditch. Co-workers of the truck driver who extricated him from the remains of the truck’s cab were forced to cut his seat belt to free him. He was then rushed to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
A UPRR police officer, Mauro Ramirez, who investigated the accident, refused to comment to news media present at the site.
