Mebane, NCA serious train crash involving an Amtrak train and a tractor-trailer occurred around 8:00 am this morning on the Amtrak tracks in Mebane. While no one was killed, several people sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital.
The train, carrying 36 passengers, was en route from Raleigh to Charlotte when it hit the tractor-trailer. The truck driver claimed that her lowboy trailer was stuck on the tracks, as she was carrying a CAT brand excavator. Luckily, she was able to escape and was not injured. However, the impact of the crash caused the locomotive and three coach cars to derail.
According to media reports, the North Carolina department of transport said that warning signs are posted in the area, and that the truck should not have been attempting to cross the tracks.
Investigators at the scene estimate the train was traveling at roughly 70 miles per hour when it smashed into the tractor-trailer. Apparently, there is no sensor system at this location to alert engineers to an obstruction on the tracks.