A truck driver is dead following a collision Wednesday involving a tractor-trailer and freight train just northeast of Houston, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The accident happened just after 7 a.m. when a Kansas City Southern train struck the vehicle, which then burst into flames.
“It appears the truck driver was parked on the tracks, in line with other vehicles, waiting for the traffic when the train was approaching,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was confirmed dead at the scene, Gonzalez said.
In a statement, Kansas City Southern said, “A KCS train collided with a truck at the FM 1960/FM 2100 grade crossing, fatally injuring the driver of the truck. The train crew was not injured. The grade crossing is not closed to motorists. The train did not derail and no hazmat was involved. The incident is under investigation.”
Officials have not released the name of the truck driver.
Work-related fatalities for trucking/delivery driver jobs increased 4% year-over-year in 2019, when 1,005 drivers were killed on the nation’s streets and highways, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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