Tractor-trailer, train collide at Colfax Street crossing in Springdale

For the second time in less than a month, a freight train and a tractor-trailer collided Wednesday morning at the Colfax Street crossing in Springdale.

The incident was reported at 8:43 a.m., an Allegheny County 911 dispatcher said.

No injuries were reported.

The flatbed, belonging to a third-party hauler, was bringing a load of bricks to R.I. Lampus, said Drew Helon, one of the owners. He could not put a value on the load, which he said was destroyed along with the trailer.

“The driver, luckily, was just shaken up,” Helon said.

Norfolk Southern spokesman Jeff DeGraff said there was minor damage to the locomotive.

Images from the scene showed bricks from the flatbed strewn about the ground and lodged in the front of the leading locomotive.

The train was traveling from Conway to Allentown with 133 cars, DeGraff said.

Springdale police Chief George Polnar said the circumstances of Wednesday morning’s crash are identical to the previous one on April 9, in which another tractor-trailer hauling bricks bound for R.I. Lampus was hit by a train at the same crossing. No one was hurt in that crash, either.

In each incident, Polnar said the tractor-trailer driver had partially crossed the tracks and was unable to clear the left turn onto South Railroad Street.

The drivers were attempting to maneuver their trucks to make the turn when they were hit.

Video cameras at PPG, the borough’s marina and water authority plant capture some of the area, he said.

“Both times we could see on the video that the truck had crossed the tracks, not completely of course, and while he was still on the tracks trying to make the turn, the (railroad crossing) arms came down and, lo and behold, here’s the train,” Polnar said.

Polnar said he will speak with borough officials about some ideas to make it easier for tractor-trailers to make the turn from Colfax to South Railroad more easily.

“We have a couple different approaches we think will mitigate any future issues of that particular situation,” he said.

Witnesses of the April 9 crash said they did not believe the crossing’s lights and bars activated soon enough to give the truck driver sufficient warning of the approaching train. But DeGraff said Norfolk Southern investigators confirmed that the warning devices operated as intended with the required amount of warning time.

He said investigators reviewed video from the train’s on-board camera and information downloaded from the crossing signal system.

DeGraff said the timing for the devices is set by federal regulators as part of industry standards.

“Given the unique characteristics of each crossing, we advise truck drivers to avoid entering the crossing area unless they are certain they can entirely exit without stopping,” he said. “As for the line of sight in the direction of the oncoming train, this is why there are lights and gates at the crossing. They provide ample advanced warning whether the train can be seen or not.”

Helon said the Colfax Street crossing is the preferred one for trucks coming to Lampus.

“The main complaint, I guess, is that it’s been timed. And there’s only 10 seconds you get when the gate goes down to the point where a train will hit you like that, which seems to be shorter than everybody’s reaction,” he said.

Helon said trucks getting hit at the crossing has been a recent development.

“We believe something recently changed,” he said. “What it is, or who did it, I don’t know.”

DeGraff said Norfolk Southern will again review the function of the crossing’s warning devices as part of its investigation into Wednesday’s incident.

“If the equipment is found to be working as designed and within required limits, the next step is to look into vehicle operation and safety awareness,” he said. “This may include working with local officials to promote more safety awareness and trainings for drivers in the area.”