14 July 2009
Langley Driver Escapes Crash
RCMP and CP Rail repair crews engaged in preparations Friday
morning to have a two-unit dump truck filled with a gravel load
removed from railway tracks after it was struck by a
train at a
level crossing near Deroche, east of Mission. The train slammed
into the truck as the driver leapt from the cab,
pushed it 300
metres, and then derailed and caught fire, blocking the
Lougheed Highway in both directions for at least another
eight
hours.
Deroche British Columbia - A
36-year-old Langley truck driver may be counting his blessings this week after narrowly escaping a crash with a train on
Friday.
The westbound gravel truck with a pup, both loaded with sand, stalled at the crossing on the Lougheed Highway at the Deroche
crossing - about 10 miles east of Mission - when the crash occurred at 9:06 a.m.
The male driver tried to restart the truck, but soon realized the eastbound Canadian Pacific train was bearing down on him, said RCMP
Sgt. Greg Pridday.
The driver jumped just before the train hit the truck, and he injured or broke his ankle in the process of jumping clear of the crash,
Pridday said.
The Langley man was taken to the Abbotsford hospital, but with relatively minor injuries considering what could have happened, said
Pridday.
"He's a very lucky fellow," he added.
The truck was crushed into a metal tangle as it was dragged 300 metres along the track and caught fire. The trailer detached and
remained on the road on the east side of the track.
The train, hauling empty coals cars, jumped the track. Rail crossing signs were also damaged in the collision.
CP spokesman Mike LoVecchio said two members of the train's crew sustained minor injuries in the crash.
The highway and the CPR's main rail line to the Port of Vancouver were closed for about eight hours in both directions while CPR
officials brought in a crane to return the train cars to the track.
RCMP is investing to see if there were any mechanical issues with the truck, which is owned by a Langley trucking company. Meanwhile,
CPR will also investigate why the collision occurred, and inspect the rail cars and tracks for any damage.
Christina Toth.
|
|
