SYRACUSE, Neb.— A train derailed Thursday morning near Frontier Cooperative, two miles south of Syracuse, Neb. following a collision with a big rig.
According to a news report from KOLN citing Union Pacific, two grain cars had derailed, but no one was injured.
The crash caused nearby road closures until the incident was cleared.
This incident follows a similar UP train-semi collision that occurred earlier Thursday morning west of Grand Island.
That incident occurred when a semi truck crashed into a parked Union Pacific train Thursday morning in Hall County, Neb., according to another report from KOLN.
The collision happened around 5:30 a.m. on Husker Highway, south of the Heartland Public Shooting Park and west of South 60th Road, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
The semi truck reportedly struck the stationary train that was blocking the tracks at the intersection.
The tracks are used as an access line for railroad cars to go to and from the old ordinance plant.
The crossing has no warning lights or crossing signals.
The impact derailed two empty train cars, according to a UP spokesperson.
The train crew was not injured while the driver of the semitrailer truck sustained minor injuries.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said the the power unit on the semi was a total loss.
As of 7:15 a.m., Husker Highway west of 60th Road remained closed to traffic while crews worked to clear the scene. The collision occurred on the west side of the railroad tracks.
Union Pacific said the placement of active warning signals, such as gates and flashing lights, at railroad crossings is part of a federally guided process led by state and local transportation agencies, and not the railroads themselves.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
