Train hits stalled 18-wheeler; Driver escapes unharmed

A driver was able to jump out of his 18-wheeler Wednesday morning before a train collided with the semi-tractor near County Road 1130 and Highway 80.

The driver was towing a flatbed trailer and got stuck on the tracks at railroad crossing 1130, said Drew Peters, Midland Fire Department battalion chief.

The train collided with the truck and dragged it at least half a mile west toward the intersection of Highway 80 and East Loop 250, Peters said.

The flatbed trailer wrapped around the front of the train engine during the collision. The crash created a debris field scattered across the tracks, Peters said.

The crash investigation is ongoing and it’s currently unknown if the driver will be cited.

Gene Powell, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation, said a crossing arm was damaged in the crash. Union Pacific has asked that the crossover be closed to traffic until the crossing arm is repaired, which should be completed by this week, Powell said.

The crash also caused a diesel spill of about 100 gallons, he said.

Department of Public Safety troopers, as well as Midland police and fire units, responded to the crash at about 9:14 a.m.


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source: Mywesttexas.com (White, 10/9)

More "road gators" during record-setting heat

CENTRAL TEXAS - Drive up and down I-35 and you're bound to see shredded bits and pieces of tires littering the roadway. The dangerous debris comes mostly from 18-wheelers, and the record-setting heat this summer is putting the rubber on the road.

Joe Varner narrowly escaped what could have been a serious accident driving southbound on I-35 when the car ahead of him swerved to dodge rubber debris.

"All of a sudden, the car goes crazy," said Varner. "I'm thinking we're fixing to dodge a wreck. I don't know what's going on. Sure enough, I'm running over a tire."

J.B. Hunt driver Olen Tussey, knows all too well what it's like to be behind the wheel of a truck during a tire blowout. He had one three weeks ago.

"You hear this big giant pop," Tussey said. "It actually blew out my airbag for my air suspension."

The tire on Tussey's trailer was a recapped, or a retreaded tire. Retreads are essentially used tires with new treads glued on. While Tussey and others said they trust retreads as they do regular tires, damaged or poorly maintained retreads are especially dangerous in 100degree heat.

With the asphalt reaching temperatures near 120-degrees, glue between the tire and the tread can heat up and liquify. If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tread may actually start to break apart. In fact, entire treads can come lose, and TxDOT says that's not uncommon during the summer months.

"The road is staying much hotter for longer and that's had an impact on the tires," said Waco TxDOT spokesperson, Ken Roberts. "As a result, we get a lot more shredded tires or 'gators' on the roadways."

Roberts said TEXDOT routinely sends crews to pick up road debris, but it's hard to keep everything clear on I-35 with the amount of big rig traffic.

"We got an awful lot of trucks, which means there's an awful lot of tires," Roberts added.

A good way to avoid tire blowouts and retread accidents in the first place is to check tire pressure often. Tussey and others recommend tires on 18-wheelers to be inflated to about 100 psi.

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source: www.kxxv.com (Brennan, 8/24)

Rockwall Police Cruiser Video Footage of 18-Wheeler Jackknife

Description according to Rockwall Police:

“One of our police officers (and bystanders) almost got killed by a jack-knifing 18-wheeler. There is a lady sitting in the car and has already been involved in one accident then she gets hit by the 18-wheeler, which also completely destroys our patrol vehicle in the process.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in this incident.....miracle.....The action comes near the end of the video so keep watching. Obviously, not all dangers to police officers come from people with guns and knives.”

One Dead, Another Injured In 18-Wheeler Crash

BRECKENRIDGE, Texas - May 27 - One person was killed and another injured when an 18-wheeler left the highway and crashed Wednesday at 2:50 p.m. in Stephens County. The crash was on state Highway 67, 15 miles northeast of Breckenridge.

Dead at the scene was James Kenneth Newman, 54, of Justin. Henry Cody Roberts, 26, of Graham, was transported to Graham Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Roberts was driving a 1994 Mack truck northbound on Highway 67, DPS Senior Trooper Sparky Dean said. The 18-wheeler left the roadway to the east and struck a steep embankment. The vehicle overturned, coming to rest on the driver’s side, blocking the northbound traffic lane of Highway 67. The weather was clear and road was dry.

Newman was pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Mike Heatley at 3:50 p.m., and the body was taken to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Worth.

This crash is being investigated by Trooper Robert Jack Sims.



originally posted www.ktxs.com

Car Slides Under 18-Wheeler, Again

Tuesday's Accident, Dallas County

LANCASTER, Texas - For the second time in less than 24 hours, a motorist was injured when his car slid under the back half of an 18-wheeler.

This time, the accident happened late Monday night in Lancaster. A man driving a red sports car was headed northbound on I-35E when he tried to exit onto I-20.

Police say at the last second, he realized the exit had been shut down by construction and swerved back onto I-35E, but collided with the trailer of an 18-wheeler. His low-profile car then slid right under the trailer.

Rescuers from Lancaster and Dallas fire departments had to cut the driver free from the wreckage. The truck driver was uninjured.

Monday's Accident, Denton County

A similar accident happened early Monday morning in CORINTH, Texas - The driver of a 4-door sedan was hurt when his Honda somehow got wedged under an 18-wheeler dump truck.

The accident happened on northbound I-35E, just north of Corinth Parkway, around 3:30 a.m.

Rescuers from Lake Cities and Lewisville fire departments had to cut the driver and his passenger free. The passenger was unhurt, and went home with friends.

The driver was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

The truck driver was not hurt.

Police are still investigating exactly how the accident happened, but they say both vehicles were northbound on I-35 when they became entangled.

The freeway was closed for a little more than an hour while the debris was cleaned up, and reopened shortly before 5 a.m.