What Happened Before Train & Semi Collided?
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Truck & Train Crash
What happened on state Route 161, and why is it a continuing problem?
NBC 4
GETTING ANSWERS: What happened before a train crashed into a tractor-trailer, and what is the larger traffic issue?
WORTHINGTON, Ohio—An oncoming train crashed into a tractor-trailer Wednesday afternoon and caused traffic tie-ups for hours.
What happened, and why is the traffic around the crossing a continuing issue?
NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock GOT ANSWERS on a continuing traffic problem.
A tractor-trailer driver was in heavy traffic on state Route 161 at Linworth Road on the city’s North Side.
Roger Smith dropped off a load of mulch and was heading eastbound on Dublin-Granville Road.
He was stuck on CSX railroad tracks, waiting for the vehicles in front of him to move forward.
Then there was an oncoming train.
“I saw the semi was trying to get across, and then I just heard this huge crash,” witness Joey Jackques said.
Witness Steve Bird said it, “sounded like a dumpster being dumped, but it was a lot louder.”
“The trailer got drug this way and half of it stopped there,” another witness said.
Train cars were derailed. Metal was mangled. The train’s “cow” catcher in the front caught shards of sheet metal.
The trailer was torn from the tractor and was dragged a quarter of a mile on the track.
No one was injured.
The reason Smith of South Vienna was stuck on the tracks? Gridlock.
And gridlock is not uncommon for state Route 161.
Sgt. Steve Cicero said Smith couldn’t get his tractor-trailer out of the train’s path because of the traffic in front of him.
There has been talk about putting an underpass or overpass on S.R. 161 to so drivers could avoid the tracks.
The overpass or underpass would go south of Dublin-Granville Road and meet back up with the road.
The project is not part of any current state plans, and in tight economic times, buying all of the businesses in the area to construct such a plan may not be feasible.
Police said the crash remained under investigation but it didn’t appear anyone would be charged since the gates came down after Smith was on the tracks.
The crossing reopened overnight Thursday.
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Reader Reactions
“The reason Smith of South Vienna was stuck on the tracks? Gridlock.“ Wrong, wrong and wrong. This is hugely irresponsible reporting. The ONLY reason this guy was “stuck” on the track is that he pulled forward without having sufficient space to clear the track. End of story (both literally and figuratively).
I was behind someone in a line of traffic that crossed a RR track the other day, and he just went onto the track without any idea whether he’d be able to pull forward. This is something that should cause a person to lose his license for good and forever, because it puts everyone involved - the driver himself, the train, the people in other cars - at risk for losing their lives.
The driver in this case should have to pay all of the costs involved with this accident, which was entirely his fault.
In drivers ed class they teach you the common sense of ensuring that you have the distance to clear the trakcs before you even cross…...especially in a big rig that cant just whip to the side…..I wonder who issued his CDL’s…..maybe I can go get a CDL since thier seemingly handing them out.
there really should be over/underpasses for the railroad tracks in high-traffic areas… can’t we use some of that cool new stimulus money to fix this?
wasn’t there something in driver’s ed class about never stopping on tracks? i could be wrong… it’s been a while…
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