Train/Truck Crash: A freight train collided with a car hauler near Conyers, GA. The truck was bringing cars to a movie set, and they were rigging inside with cameras, etc. This was not...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

A freight train collided with a car hauler near Conyers, GA. The truck was bringing cars to a movie set, and they were rigging inside with cameras, etc. This was not the fault of the truck driver, but of the state or some other entity. There is a steep rise to cross the tracks, and the frame of the trailer bottomed out on the tracks. Although several police arrived on the scene, there was no way to move the truck. In all the time they were there, no one thought to call the railroad.

We have a situation like that around here. Turning off the highway at one spot, there is a very sharp downward slope. If a trailer doesn't have enough ground clearance, it will get hung up on the road and block traffic. There are so many laws regarding trucks. Why don't they have laws regarding roads?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

jerryc41 wrote:

A freight train collided with a car hauler near Co... (show quote)

Because they put up signs that say "No Trucks"?

There is one of those crossings in Maitland, FL. There is a "Bottom Out" sign at the crossing.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

Because they put up signs that say "No Trucks"?

There is one of those crossings in Maitland, FL. There is a "Bottom Out" sign at the crossing.

Not at this one, but what kind of trucks? That's a cheap way out of a bad situation.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

jerryc41 wrote:

Not at this one, but what kind of trucks? That's a cheap way out of a bad situation.

Trucks are typically considered as anything larger than a pickup, ie. box trucks.
(I suppose delivery trucks are exempt??? ie. UPS/FedEx/DHL/spring water/appliance stores/...
But my 6 passenger pickup in PA had a "Truck" tag...
Plain tag when I was in Florida.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

Trucks are typically considered as anything larger than a pickup, ie. box trucks.
(I suppose delivery trucks are exempt??? ie. UPS/FedEx/DHL/spring water/appliance stores/...
But my 6 passenger pickup in PA had a "Truck" tag...
Plain tag when I was in Florida.

I had a couple of trucks with a back seat, and I could register each as a "Suburban" (station wagon), rather than a truck, in NY. That let me drive on any road, even when trucks were not allowed.

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

Longshadow wrote:

Trucks are typically considered as anything larger than a pickup, ie. box trucks.
(I suppose delivery trucks are exempt??? ie. UPS/FedEx/DHL/spring water/appliance stores/...
But my 6 passenger pickup in PA had a "Truck" tag...
Plain tag when I was in Florida.

Not the case if CA. When there years ago I had to pay truck tolls on a bridge for my pick-up. Even though my truck was empty.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

jerryc41 wrote:

I had a couple of trucks with a back seat, and I could register each as a "Suburban" (station wagon), rather than a truck, in NY. That let me drive on any road, even when trucks were not allowed.

Yup. I considered mine a passenger vehicle with a very large trunk. It had a cap.

JBRIII

the same thing happened to someone with a trailer? in one of the cactus parks in Arizona, blocking the trail to everyone else (us). They had signs warning people, but someone always has to try.
Big Bend nat. park in Texas has roads you don't need 4 wheel drive, but you might need a spare oil pan, etc. if not very careful.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

Yup. I considered mine a passenger vehicle with a very large trunk. It had a cap.

Mine was capped, too. It looked like a tall station wagon.

Stephan G

jerryc41 wrote:

A freight train collided with a car hauler near Co... (show quote)

The problem is case by case founded. There are those areas where right of ways cross private properties. Signage is governed locally. One problem is that there are a lot of truck drivers that do not check the limitations of the equipment they are working with. There are trailers that get run into overhead bridges. The max height signage in place! (Side note: watched a beer truck run under the power tracks for trolley buses decades past. Beer all over the place.)

I would say that most of the hanging of the trailers is the fault of the drivers. It still remains the responsibility of the drivers to be aware of the surrounds of the areas they travel. And be aware of the equipment they are handling.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Stephan G wrote:

The problem is case by case founded. There are th... (show quote)

This poor guy was almost there - just a few more miles. The Chevy Nova had a lot of rigging inside, and that might be easy to replace quickly. They didn't show the inside of the Mercedes, but the studio and the insurance company can fight it out.

Sendai5355 Loc: On the banks of the Pedernales River, Texas

The most gut wrenching train/vehicle collision video I've seen was the one where the cops placed a woman in the back seat of a patrol car that was parked on the tracks. Amazingly, the woman survived but with serious injuries. I suspect she will be a rich woman after she recovers.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Sendai5355 wrote:

The most gut wrenching train/vehicle collision video I've seen was the one where the cops placed a woman in the back seat of a patrol car that was parked on the tracks. Amazingly, the woman survived but with serious injuries. I suspect she will be a rich woman after she recovers.

Yeah. At first, they were saying he was within his rights to leave her and the car on the tracks. I hope she has a complete recovery and becomes very rich. This could drag on for years, though.

Stephan G

jerryc41 wrote:

This poor guy was almost there - just a few more miles. The Chevy Nova had a lot of rigging inside, and that might be easy to replace quickly. They didn't show the inside of the Mercedes, but the studio and the insurance company can fight it out.

That is a mess, definitely.

I have not read anything about your situation. The one question popped in my mind. Did anyone there put out any flares?

NDMarks Loc: Dublin, Ca

As a 20 plus year big-rig driver i'm not sure I can agree that the truck driver was not at least partly at fault. The driver is responsible for his/her vehicle and probably should have walked first to check out the road. I learned that my legs make u-turns much easier than a 72 foot long truck.