Niobe Alberta - A CP Rail worker narrowly escaped death last week after a collision between a southbound train and the loader he was working on.
 
The collision occurred at the CP Rail intersection between Highway 2A and Township Road 362 as a railway company crew was performing routine maintenance.
 
"There was a serious collision at 6:10 a.m. the morning of 24 Jun 2014, one mile north of Niobe, or two miles north of Innisfail," said Ed Greenberg, spokesperson for CP Rail.
 
"A southbound Canadian Pacific train struck a loader working on the rail construction site at that location. The loader driver was part of a crew working on track maintenance and injured during the collision."
 
The westbound heavy-duty loader was struck on the driver;s side.
 
At the scene, CP investigators saw that the loader was turned around from the collision, off the track, and at least 16 metres from the point of impact, resulting in a damaged side that faced south.
 
The damage to the loader included a dent on the driver;s-side door, a crack in the front windshield, and the front radiator was bent out of shape.
 
Efforts to move the loader under its own power were not successful by the time the train was allowed to continue along the track.
 
Innisfail Fire Department was called to respond to the accident and removed an unconscious unidentified 44-year-old male who was operating the loader.
 
STARS air ambulance transported the driver to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary for treatment.
 
Highway 2A was closed while the air ambulance was operating in the area.
 
"We have launched an investigation into the incident," said Greenberg.
 
"The crew of the train sustained no injuries due to the accident. As of early afternoon on 24 Jun 2014, the driver had been released from the hospital."
 
The CP Rail train was allowed to start moving again between 8:30 and 9 a.m. after being cleared by an attending CP Rail police officer.
 
No charges have been laid at this time.

Tim Lasiuta.