Thanks for the note.  Another example of poor news reporting I am afraid.

"A freight train came around a corner and its conductor was unable to stop before hitting the truck, officials said."

Really?  More than one official stated that? 

What is interesting to me is how a truck can be struck by a train that is stopped on the tracks.

EdKing

I normally don't comment on such things but I found this kind of funny this time.  

How does one get a train around a corner?  Don't think even a shay could make that tight of a CURVE

" A truck got stalled"?.....Oh boy....yup journalism is dead.....officials said.

That's not what the news report stated.  It's what our "forum reporter" wrote. 

The news report (accurate) headline is:  

Train hits truck stalled on tracks in Magnolia

Did anyone else read the "comments" under the video?  There's some nutjob insisting that the train never attempted to slow down and the engineer wasn't in the cab.  Wow.

I saw that.  My guess would be that both the engineer and conductor had quickly relocated from the cab to a "safer" spot.  The crew would obviously have seen the stalled truck, placed the train into emergency and "got out of Dodge".  And, looking at how the right side of what appears to be the lead unit was peeled open, I'd say discretion really was the better part of valor in this instance.

Curt

I saw a low boy at the end of the video and that was what likely caused the truck to stall when the trailer most likely HIGH CENTERED on the road or tracks and the driver jumped out to see the problem. If you look at the roadway, there is a step left by what looks like fresh pavement. That more than likely caused the low boy to hang up stalling the truck.

Where ya been, CWEX?

Journalism has been dead for several generations, now.

EdKing

Curt is correct. As soon as the Engineer and Conductor saw & realized what was about to happen, after placing the train into emergency, they would have laid down on the floor and covered their heads in order to escape injury, as best as they could.

Here, you folks might like this one better...   

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013...ama/?test=latestnews

Well, actually, he could have stopped, but he had to stay with the train.

I live about a 1 and a half from rr crossing like this.To me its sad  when come up to the crossing.They have a sign that says"DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS.'Its like some people leave their brains at home.In fact I have seen a vary closse call at this crossing.Car in front of me stoped on the tracks.No sooner he the rr crossing bells and lights went off.He turned around and looked back at me.What I could back up there was at least 10 to 15 cars behind.He had the lord looking out for him.He drove his car down the left side of the road.Because there a big industral park closse by.Usely by time of the day in the afternoon its just bumper to bumper cars.

I've had people honk at me for not driving onto the tracks in bumper-to-bumper traffic.  I swear the world is getting dumber.

You are certainly right about that Ed.

Man, the gates weren't even half way down before the train was on the crossing!

That's the trailing unit.

Steve,

     The truck was stopped on the tracks before the gates came down.  The gates lowered onto the truck.  They just continued to descend after the train knocked the truck sideways.

Jon

I wonder that myself.

Makes sense.

Watched it again and believe you are correct.  I was deliberately vague in my first response knowing how some Forumites like to pick nits. 

Curt

Good catch Number 90.  I surprised the conductor could do so much damage to the truck and still walk away from the scene.