Semi carrying organic milk cartons hit by train after getting stuck on tracks
A semitrailer carrying empty cartons for organic milk was hit by a freight train Wednesday in Turlock after the driver got stuck on the track, the California Highway Patrol said.
Officers were called around 3:40 p.m. to South Daubenberger Road, just east of the intersection of Golden State Boulevard and Youngstown Road, CHP Officer Tom Olsen said.
The driver was traveling west on Daubenberger, and the trailer portion became stuck when he attempted to cross, Olsen said. Realizing the situation could be dangerous, the driver got out of the truck.
A Union Pacific freight train traveling north approached the intersection a short time after the semi became stuck, Olsen said. The conductor did not have enough distance to stop and the train hit the semi, sending the half-gallon milk cartons and debris all around the area.
No one was injured in the collision. The train remained stopped during the cleanup process, Olsen said.
This crossing has been a bad spot for semi-related and other collisions over the years.
A sign just before the track warns drivers that there is potential to get stuck on the incline where the track and road meet. Olsen said he did not know if this is what caused the semi to stall on the track.
Olsen also said vehicles have been stuck on the track during heavy commute hours because drivers don’t give themselves the 15 feet of space required by law to clear a railroad track.
Trains can take up to a mile to stop depending on their weight and speed, Olsen said.
“These trains do tend to go through town at a faster rate than the public imagines they are,” Olsen said.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 6:21 PM.
