Over the weekend, the YouTube channel David’s Garden Seeds And Products was in the right place at the right time.  They were traveling to Memphis and was going through Mer Rouge, LA.  When they got to a Union Pacific railroad crossing on US 165, they saw a tractor-trailer stuck on the tracks.  Yep, you can guess what happens next.  The lights come on, the gates come down, and a Norfolk Southern/Southern Pacific train smashes into the truck.

The driver of the truck ran from the truck before the train smashed into it.  But the conductors on the train suffered serious injuries.  Both locomotives and up to 13 cars derailed and crashed.  One of the train cars carried argon, and it leaked.  The police chief in the small town of Mer Rouge said train crashes happen often in this small town.  Maybe Union Pacific will do some serious upgrades to the crossing, and the Louisiana DOT will ban trucks coming through this crossing?  Anyways, enjoy the video!

Train accidents like this one are far more common than you might expect. Despite the rigorous training, safety equipment, and other tools that are given to train drivers, it can be just about impossible to avoid a collision with a machine like this once it is hurtling towards you. Take a look at the video to see how devastating a crash like this can be.

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