A CSX train heading north struck a vehicle and trailer at a railroad crossing in Ringgold, Georgia, this week, and the matter is under investigation.
The collision happened after a semitruck carrying an excavator got stuck heading east through the High Street railroad crossing in Ringgold. The truck was carrying the excavator on a special trailer designed for heavy equipment called a low boy, said John Pless, public information officer for Catoosa County.
"For some reason he (the driver) got hung up or bottomed out on the tracks and was unable to get out of the way," Pless said in a phone interview.
Determining why the semi was unable to make it through the intersection is part of the investigation, he said.
The driver was able to get away from the collision, a video of the incident shows, and the train engineer was transported to Hamilton Medical Center with minor injuries, according to Lt. Michael Burns, the public information director for Georgia State Patrol.
State troopers reported to the scene at 4:16 p.m. Monday afternoon, and a crash report was not available as of Tuesday afternoon, Burns said in an email. He did not respond to a follow-up request Wednesday. No other injuries were reported.
Pless said there were no leaks or releases from the train's load, and the road was reopened later that evening after debris was cleaned up.
Kaytlin Pepper Delgadillo captured video of the incident from her vehicle as she waited at a stop sign on State Spur 151 roughly parallel with the railroad tracks. The Cleveland, Tennessee, resident said in a phone interview she drives through the High Street railroad crossing daily.
On the railroad crossing to her right, the semitruck had just gotten stuck and was spinning its tires trying to gain traction when the railroad crossing arms started coming down, she said. Several people asked her how long the truck was stuck before the train arrived, and she said it was only a few seconds.
"I think it was the perfect storm -- it happened in less than a minute," Delgadillo said.
In the video, Delgadillo said "oh no" twice and backed her vehicle away from the intersection after she said she realized a collision was imminent. When the train smashed into the excavator on the trailer, debris was ejected into the intersection where her vehicle was sitting moments before.
Delgadillo said she was glad no one was seriously injured, and several people reached out to her about other trucks getting hung up in that same location -- including a truck from the company where she works.
(READ MORE: Northwest Georgia officials criticize truck weight increase legislation)
The collision happened as the Georgia General Assembly is considering legislation that would raise the weight limit for trucks on state highways. Due to concerns about traffic safety and the expense of road damage from heavier trucks, House Bill 189 was amended to allow the increase in truck weight limits for agricultural products only.
The bill cleared the committee last week and is being scheduled for a floor vote.
Contact Andrew Wilkins at awilkins@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.