Tuesday, May 26, 2015

JOHNSTON, S.C. (WRDW) -- Officials say they are now just making minor repairs to buildings and a parking lot where a the train collided with a tractor trailer truck earlier this month.

Tracks were completely repaired by last Wednesday and new crossing arms were installed Thursday.

All the train cars and tractor-trailer truck were removed by the end of the day, the same day of the crash.

Friday, May 15, 2015

JOHNSTON, S.C. (WRDW) -- Norfolk Southern has said operations have resumed through the area where a train collided with a tractor-trailer carrying a transformer on Thursday.

The train company has said the tractor trailer was stuck on the tracks at highway/rail grade crossing when the train struck it around 9:45 a.m. Thursday.

The driver of the truck has been charged under South Carolina Law for moving heavy equipment at railroad grade crossings, according to Trans United Inc.

The driver of the truck called Norfolk Southern’s Police Communications Center to alert the railroad that his truck was stuck at the same time the train was approaching the crossing, Norfolk Southern said.

No one was injured in the crash.

News 12 First at Five/ Thursday May 14, 2015

JOHNSTON, S.C. (WRDW) -- They say tornadoes sound like trains, but Thursday,the roles reversed after a train crash left behind tornado worthy damage in Johnston, South Carolina. The Norfolk Southern train crashed into a tractor trailer that was stuck on the tracks just before 10:00AM on Lee Street at Calhoun Street, right in the middle of Johnston.

Allison Rauton works at a drug store near the crash site. She says, "It was like a big explosion, and it just scared everybody to death at the drug store."

She called 911 when she saw the truck stuck on the tracks. "As soon as I hung up the phone, it wasn't five minutes later we heard the train coming, and I called 911 again, and told them the train had just hit the truck," she says.

A bystander captured video of the crash, as the train blew the tractor trailer carrying a large transformer to pieces. The accident backed traffic up all day, split the trailer in half, and totaled several cars parked nearby.

"These trucks carrying these heavy loads are so low, the truck just drags over the track, and that's how it got stuck," she says.

Unfortunately, Rauton says, this isn't the first time this happened. She says big trucks get stuck at this crossing all the time.

"The same company was carrying the same exact load and they got stuck yesterday afternoon. They had to get an 18 wheeler, he was coming through Johnston. They were lucky enough to pull him off the tracks," she says.

But, this truck driver was not as lucky. "When we seen the truck hit, we just knew that somebody had gotten killed or somebody had gotten dragged. The train hit so hard it was dragging the 18 wheeler all the way down the track," she says.

Now, people in the community are hoping someone will look into making this train crossing safer. "I don't know if the highway department needs to re-do the track to make it lower, but this is not the first, second, time, but probably the third or fourth time it's happened on this same track," she says.

There were no injuries and no hazardous materials spilled. The Norfolk Southern train was carrying 59 cars, so their crews are coming in to clean it up. Norfolk Southern tells New 12 the train speed limit there is 55 miles per hour. They say it takes a train traveling 50 miles per hour more than a mile and half to stop.



Thursday, May 14, 2015

JOHNSTON, S.C. (WRDW) -- Norfolk Southern has released a statement regarding a train wreck in Johnston on Thursday.

The train company has said the tractor trailer was stuck on the tracks at highway/rail grade crossing when the train struck it around 9:45 a.m. The driver of the truck called Norfolk Southern’s Police Communications Center to alert the railroad that his truck was stuck at the same time the train was approaching the crossing, Norfolk Southern said.

The train was traveling southbound with two locomotives and 59 cars. It was unable to stop before striking the truck. This track's speed is 55 mph. According to Norfolk Southern, it can take a train traveling at 50 mph more than a mile and a half to stop.

The incident derailed one locomotive and one empty rail car. Norfolk Southern has said they are in the process of re-railing the equipment.

There were no injuries to the train crew or the driver of the truck, officials said.

Calhoun Street remains blocked while crews work to clean up the accident, according to Edgefield County dispatch. the road is still blocked.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

JOHNSTON, S.C. (WRDW) -- Crews have responded to a train wreck involving a Norfolk Southern Train.

It happened on Lee Street at Calhoun Street, dispatch said.

The Edgefield County Sheriff's Office has said a transport vehicle carrying a large transformer was on the tracks and hit by the train.

A few cars of the train have lost alignment with the rail, but it is not a full derailment. However, the cars will have to be re-aligned, the sheriff's office said.

There are no injuries reported and no hazardous materials have spilled. Officials say it will take hours to clean up and re-align the rail cars. News 12 is working to find out exactly how long it's expected to take.

A witness captured the train wreck on camera, we've attached that video to this story.

News 12 will keep this story updated.