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Video captures train collision with tractor-trailer near San Antonio (with video)

Truck driver and passengers and crew on Amtrak train uninjured

A tractor-trailer collided with an Amtrak train near San Antonio on Tuesday. Image: Cibolo Police Department

A motorist captured dramatic video early Tuesday morning of a passenger train slamming into a tractor-trailer just north of San Antonio.

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Officials with the Cibolo Police Department said the truck had become stuck at a railroad crossing and couldn’t get out of the way of the fast-moving train. Neither the truck driver nor the 123 passengers and crew on the Amtrak train from New Orleans to Los Angeles were injured.

Chris Schlein, the motorist who filmed the accident, posted the video on YouTube. (Editor’s note: Video contains explicit language.) He said he was on his way to work when he noticed the tractor-trailer stuck at the railroad crossing.

“I was already late for work, so I was going to turn around and go another way,” Schlein told FreightWaves. “Then I noticed the crossing lights started flashing, and the arms came down.”


Schlein said he saw the train speeding toward the truck and took his phone out.

“Here he comes,” Schlein said as the train bore down and severed the truck, whose driver had exited. “Holy [expletive]! … Damn! … That’s why you don’t [expletive] with them [expletive] railroad crossings.”

“[The driver] was already out — just barely. He was moments away from that train colliding,” Schlein said.

A screen shot from Chris Schlein’s video shows the driver escaping from his truck before it was struck by an oncoming train.

Cleanup crews spent several hours clearing debris after the accident. The train was able to resume its journey after a few hours.


News reports said the driver of the Centex truck received a citation. However, signage indicating trucks should not use the crossing was on only one side of the apparently steeply graded crossing — not on the side from which the truck driver was coming, according to NBC affiliate NEWS4SA. Police said a sign will now be posted on the other side as well.

10 Comments

  1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    VIDEO SHOWING A SAFE TRAIN SPEED AT GRADE CROSSING !

    I do not agree with the ways the “protesters” are acting . I simply chose this video due to the SAFE SPEED which the train is crossing at a grade crossing within a municipality . That’s the REASONABLE & PRUDENT MAXIMUM TRAIN SPEED limit that should be enforced at all grade crossings until infrastructure is built at such crossings as I mentioned above in prior comments .

    In my humble opinion .

    1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

      You can check out the SAFE TRAIN SPEED at a grade crossing on YouTube under the title posted below :

      Nationwide rail blockades come to Truro

    1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

      Collision between 18-wheeler, train has local authorities reminding truck drivers to use caution

      Quote:

      “The driver of the 18-wheeler got out fast. In the video, he can be seen running away from the flying debris and avoiding injury. Cibolo Police officials tell KENS 5 the big rig was stuck on the tracks due to it being high-centered and the driver not realizing the tracks were so high. Police say the company is Cemex. 

      Police report the driver was told by their dispatcher to take the route; officers are advising against that in the future.

      “Because of the type of trailer he had, it had low clearance on it,” Schlein said. “It got hung up on the train tracks because they came up to a steep point.”

  2. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    ABOLISH GRADE CROSSING !

    We definitely have a huge problem with grade crossings !

    Quote Freightwaves articles :

    US lawmakers urged to address blocked grade crossings

    Rail agency mulls requiring rail crossing safety plans from all states

    Federal agency launches webpage to report blocked crossings: Railway Age

    Oklahoma to fine freight railroads for blocking rail crossings

    Canada launches $55m rail safety program

    ENOUGH WITH THE GRADE CROSSING DINOSAUR STRUCTURE . USE BRIDGES OR TUNNELS WITH REASONABLE & SAFE SPEED LIMITS ! PROBLEM SOLVED ! Then again , make sure these corporate entities MAINTAIN their infrastructures !

    Said it over and over again , RAIL TRANSPORTATION SHOULD BE OWNED BY THE CROWN !

    IMHO !

  3. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    CEMEX SHOULD SUE THE RAIL COMPANY FOR NEGLIGENCE AND PUTTING A TRUCKER’S LIFE IN DANGER !

    HAD THAT BEEN AN OIL TANKER STUCK AT THE RAIL CROSSING IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MUCH WORSE !

    LACK OF CONDUCTOR COMMON SENSE PUTS RAIL PASSENGERS AT RISK AS WELL !

    THAT RAIL CO. & THE CONDUCTOR SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE DUE TO NEGLIGENCE !

    BOYCOTT RAIL !

    In my HUMBLE opinion ……….

    1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

      DUE TO RAIL CO LACK OF SAFETY AND THEIR NEGLECT AT RAIL CROSSINGS , THE PUBLIC IS UNSAFE AT RAIL CROSSINGS . WE NEED TO INSILL LAWS TO ASSURE PREVENTION OF THIS SORT OF RAIL CO NEGLECT .

      WE NEED MUNICIPALITIES TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND DEMAND THAT TRAINS SLOW DOWN TO A CRAWL( 10 MPH MAX) AT RAIL CROSSINGS IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE AT RAIL CROSSINGS UNTIL RAIL CO’S REDESIGN THEIR CROSSINGS TO NO LONGER IMPEDE TRAFFIC IN MUNICIPALITIES .

      RAIL CO’S NEED TO REDESIGN RAIL CROSSINGS SO THAT THEY NO LONGER IMPEDE PUBLIC TRAFFIC . IE; THEY NEED TO BUILD OVERPASSES . UNTIL THEN THEY SHOULD BE OBLIGED TO PASS AT 10 MPH MAX AND NOT OBSTRUCT THE CROSSING FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES MAX . SHORTEN THE AMOUNT OF RAIL CARS BEING PULLED UNTIL INFRASTRUCTURE IS BUILT TO PREVENT PUBLIC TRAFFIC IMPEDEMENT .

      THE PEOPLE SHOULD DEMAND FOR RAIL CLEARANCE FROM PUBLIC ROADWAYS WHICH WOULD NO LONGER HINDER THE PUBLIC NOR THEIR SAFETY .

      SAFETY IS NUMBER 1 !

      LET “Paul Licata’s COMMENT” SERVE AS PROOF AT HOW UNREASONABLE THE ONE’S IN THE RAIL INDUSTRY CAN BE AND ARE . UNFORTUNATELY WE CANNOT DEPEND ON THEM TO REASON , NOR ACCEPT THEIR ATTEMPTS TO JUSTIFY THEIR WRONGS . UNFORTUNATELY WE NEED TO INSTILL LAWS THAT GUIDE AND OBLIGE THEM TO BE SAFE DUE TO THEIR LACK OF REASONING !

      In my HUMBLE opinion .

  4. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

    How could the conductor not have seen a huge truck like that on the tracks from a distance ??? Why didn’t the train conductor slow down to a stop ???

    You hear the train blowing his horn , but you don’t hear the train braking . No , the conductor just freaking rams through the freaking truck !

    Sign or no sign at the crossing , the conductor is suppose to have enough time to stop the train from the time the lights at the crossing start flashing . 15 whole seconds passed before the train struck the truck from the beginning of the recorded video . That truck was on the tracks before the video recording began . That train IN MY OPINION had ample time to stop . The train was passing a crossing point much to fast .

    Now that I’m done kicking the train conductor , how about dispatch ?

    Now this is the freaking icing on the cake !

    And I’ll quote from the article written on KENS5:

    “Police report the driver was told by their dispatcher to take the route; officers are advising against that in the future.”

    So who’s fault was it ? Was it the driver’s fault for listening and abiding by his DISPATCHER’S directions ???

    CEMEX FIRE THAT DISPATCHER ! San Antonio WAKE UP & MAKE THOSE TRAINS CROSS CROSSINGS AT A CRAWL IN SPEED !

    Wow , wow , WOW !

    IMHO ………

    1. Paul Licata

      You Sir, are an idiot. Do you have ANY railroad experience? Your premises have no basis in fact or rules. Trains moving at that speed take about 3/4 of a mile to stop. And how about making all cars “crawl” through intersections. You have zero knowledge of the railroad and how it works.
      May I suggest you comment you know something about next time.
      Paul

      1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

        LOL ! You act like quite an ignorant classless clown behind a computer screen . I doubt you insult people through name calling like that in person . Cause if you do then you’re probably toothless .

        Quote :
        “And how about making all cars “crawl” through intersections. ”

        The truck was at a complete stop at the intersection/CROSSING ! Is that enough of a crawl for you ?

        That train had ample time to stop . That truck could be seen from a far away distance by the conductor before the train arrived at the crossing .

        We saw yesterday on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory how a CN freight train didn’t slow down for Mohawk Warriors on the tracks ! It’s all over the media . SECURITY COMES FIRST ! Train conductor’s need to slow down and stop if need be .

        Nice try but no cigar ! You can’t deny it was negligence & poor judgement on the train conductor’s part ! That conductor should be fired as well .

        In my humble opinion ……….

Comments are closed.

Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com