Dramatic video showed the moment a freight train smashed into a sewage truck on a rail crossing in Virginia, causing a huge explosion of waste.
The driver of the truck was left with life-threatening injuries following the incident that occurred at around 4 p.m. Thursday in Chesapeake, police said.
Video footage shows the truck nearly crossing the train tracks before a Norfolk Southern train hits the back, causing the truck to spin off the rails and roll into a nearby street, splattering green liquid everywhere.
Azuriah O’Daniel, who captured the incident on camera, told WAVY-TV the collision had “busted the septic tank” and that “the impact was crazy.”
O’Daniel said the train had not been able to stop in time for the truck to finish crossing the tracks. The intersection does not appear to have crossing gates.
In the recording, a witness can be heard exclaiming “holy s***, holy s***… oh my God. What the f***?”
“When officers arrived, they discovered that a truck had overturned as a result of the crash,” the Chesapeake Police Department said in a press release.
“A minor fuel‑related hazmat situation was identified at the scene; however, there is no immediate danger to the public,” police said.
The truck driver was transported to a local hospital to treat his injuries, which were severe, according to police.
A spokesperson for Norfolk Southern told WAVY that none of the crew was injured.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, but preliminary findings indicate that the truck failed to stop at a posted stop sign prior to the collision, police said.
O’Daniel told WAVY-TV that the train blasted its horn before colliding with the truck but said it would have been impossible for the train to stop before it crossed.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that they’re not cars, they don’t have rubber tires, it’s steel rails with steel wheels,” O’Daniel told the network. “When you grind those two together, that’s just instant sparks.”
The Independent has requested further information from the Chesapeake Police Department.
