Railroad crossings in Vero reopen after train, trailer collide
Debbie Carson
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. The low-bed trailer became stuck when crossing the tracts at the intersection of U.S.1 and 26th Street just before the train passed through the area.[Kaila Jones/32963]
Update: All railroad crossings in Vero Beach have reopened following a collision between a semi-tractor trailer and a freight train this morning.
VERO BEACH — It will be a little longer before train crossings in Vero Beach reopen following the collision of a train and a semi-tractor trailer Saturday morning.
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. [Photo: Kaila Jones]
Vero Beach Police spokesman Darrell Rivers said they expect the road crossings to open around Noon. An FEC train hauling more than a mile’s worth of freight cars is blocking crossings south of Aviation Boulevard. Crossings between Aviation and 12th Street are closed and Vero Beach Police is on scene to ensure traffic is re-routed.
Rivers said the semi-tractor trailer was a “low-boy” that got hung up on the crossing just south of Aviation at 7:18 a.m. The driver attempted to disconnect the truck from the trailer before a northbound train come up the tracks.
“We’re lucky,” Rivers said. The driver was uninjured and the trailer was empty.
The plow on the front of the train’s engine sustained extensive damage but the engine itself is still functional.
Rivers explained that crews are working to clear the damaged plow so the engine can continue on its way and clear the crossings.
“It’s going to be a couple hours,” Rivers said.
Photos by Kaila Jones with contributed photos from Vero Beach Police Department
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. The low-bed trailer became stuck when crossing the tracts at the intersection of U.S.1 and 26th Street just before the train passed through the area.[Kaila Jones/32963]
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. The low-bed trailer became stuck when crossing the tracts at the intersection of U.S.1 and 26th Street just before the train passed through the area.[Kaila Jones/32963]
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. The low-bed trailer became stuck when crossing the tracts at the intersection of U.S.1 and 26th Street just before the train passed through the area.[Kaila Jones/32963]
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. The low-bed trailer became stuck when crossing the tracts at the intersection of U.S.1 and 26th Street just before the train passed through the area.[Kaila Jones/32963]
Florida East Coast Rail works to remove areas of the front of a northbound train after a Saturday morning collision with a tractor trailer in Vero Beach. The low-bed trailer became stuck when crossing the tracts at the intersection of U.S.1 and 26th Street just before the train passed through the area.[Kaila Jones/32963]
