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Log Truck, Train Collide On Muscogee Road
June 24, 2009
One person was injured Tuesday afternoon when a log truck collided with a train near Cantonment.
Witnesses said Andrew Davis, 48, of Pace, tried to beat the train in a log truck about 2:15 p.m. at a crossing on Muscogee Road near McQueen Drive — that’s about three miles west of the International Paper plant were the load of logs was to be delivered. Witnesses said the crossing gate was down at the time of the crash.
Davis was taken to West Florida Hospital with serious injuries.
The trailer of the log truck was knocked onto its side in the crash, dumping the load of logs.
Click here for more photos from the scene.
The Cantonment, Ensley, Molino and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the call along with the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia County Sheriff’s Department and Escambia County EMS.
The engineers on the Alabama-Gulf Coast Railway train were not injured. They were indentified as Howard Keith, 49, of Monroeville, and Danny Picket, 32, of Frisco City.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The FHP says charges are pending in the accident.
Pictured above and below: The collision between a log truck and train on Muscogee Road Tuesday afternoon. Submitted photos by Kristi Kinnard for NortheEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
12 Responses to “Log Truck, Train Collide On Muscogee Road”
Another example of these trucks always in a “hurry”.(Going way too fast) It makes me nervous when one goes by me, I get way over to get out of the way. They go way too fast around the curves, also they dont like to get behind school buses I”ve watched them pass buses on hwy 97 not even thinking about the safety of the children on the bus, same with those gravel trucks way too fast trying to hurry to get another load. DOT needs to be on Hwy 97 like they catch ‘em on Hwy 29 all the time!
I dont know what it is with Muscogee Rd but I live on that road and I am scared to death that something is going to happen to one of my children because of all the horrible traffic and people speeding up and down the road!! I’m not saying that this driver is one of them because I dont know all I know is that there are alot of impatient drivers on the road and they dont know how to slow down for the speed limit in a rural area where there are lots of children. I see kids walking up and down the road all the time and it just upsets me because I see how people drive this road everyday! I will not allow my children to play in my front yard because I am scared of an accident. Just wanted to give my 2 cents on the situation. It is unfortunate that this happened to the driver of the log truck and I hope he has a speedy recovery I just wish people would slow down on Muscogee Rd.
My company travels this road every day, we have three dump trucks running through there hourly. I can’t say what happened with this driver, but a few years back one of our trucks was stopped at this crossing, waiting for the train and a log truck came over the hill too fast to stop, and knocked him into the train, almost killing our driver. Please don’t be too quick to judge, most of the drivers that come through there are professional. They know the road, and know that at any time there could be a train, or even worse, a bus load of children. There are however those few, and it’s not just trucks, it’s the little cars too, that push the limits. I think that the Sherrif’s dep, and the DOT could curb alot of the speeding that does occur through there. There should also be some advanced warning signs with lights placed on top of the hills on both sides of the crossing. They do this for red lights, so surely rail crossings should be as important. Let’s be thankful that the driver is going to be okay, and no one else was injured, and call our county offices to see what can be done to prevent future accidents at all crossings.
The engineer on the train, Mr Howard Keith is also a good friend of mine. I have watched him operate trains in Lower Alabama and West Florida for years. He is probably the safest engineer around, always throttles back for grade crossings, observes speed limits and is very well versed in the “Rules of Operation”. Among other achievements, he was qualified as an Operation Lifesaver Instructor. One thing he taught me from OLS was to slow my car well before grade crossings and open the window and listen for the train horn. That way if the view of the crossing is blocked, you still hear the horn and have time to stop. And probably the best advice is to:
Always expect a train at a grade crossing and be prepared to act accordingly. And remember, the train ALWAYS wins….
Not sure if engineers get hazardous duty pay. They do get paid well for what they go though. Howard Keith, the engineer involved in the wreck, is a good friend of mine. He is indeed a rail safety advocate. He will say something to you if you stand too close to the tracks. I can recall about two years ago when a gravel truck went over a crossing at Welka Road and went into the path of a southbound train, with a northbound in the siding. I wonder if these truck driving courses have the Operation Lifesaver give lectures. I would. When a truck driver does something this stupid, not only is it going to cost them their jobs, but it could cost someone their life(ves). And yes, the train crews go through trauma from it, depending on the extend of the wreck. The train isn’t going to stop for you, you have to stop for them. Trains have to get goods to a place at a certain time and they don’t have time for obstacles to get in their way. If a trains stops and blocks the crossing you go across, find another way around. Let the train and its crew do their jobs without having to worry about hitting someone. There are other things they have to worry about day to day on the job.
Under the circumstances, it looks like he’d have been better off going ahead and trying to beat it… if his vision of the lights was blocked until too late, like his friend said… sounds like to me the lights and crossbars weren’t programmed right if the chip truck made it through, the lights and bars activate and the next instant the train is there….. At least it seems to me the crossbars should be all the way down BEFORE the train comes through….
I know the driver and he was not trying to beat the train he was trying to get stopped. He was headed toward the mill when he met a chip truck . In the brief moments that the chip truck blocked his view of the crossing the red lights had started flashing and the arms had started down.He got on the brakes and started downshifting but could not get stopped in time. He was traveling about 10 mph when he hit he train. I’ve known Andy Davis a long time and know him to be a professional at his trade.The last thing he would ever try to do is race a train.Please be considerate of the facts when you judge someone you don’t know in circumstances you don’t understand.
I wonder if engineers and others that ride the rails receive hazardous duty pay. If not, they should. It’s not like they can just turn the wheel to avoid a crash.
There will be cost here will be a lot further than just what you see in these photos. As others have said it is not worh the few minutes to take the chance. I have always took these few minutes that I am stopped for a train, a stop sign or a stop light and relax and thank God for all that he has done for me in my life. God only knows that the few minutes we are held up at a stop light etc. may be the few minutes that will mean the difference of not being involved in an accident down the road. Relax and enjoy life every once and a while, as these are the times that you can do so and it not be your falt for being a little late.
This is a sad thing that anyone would risk 2 to 5 minutes out of your life to try and beat a train. Trains don’t stop on a dime people it takes a long way to stop this big machine. I am speaking from my own experience trying to beat trains. I look back now and wonder why I was so STUPID. I beat the odds for doing this STUPID thing. Next time if I tried it I might get killed or cause someone else to die. IT IS NOT WORTH IT TO ME. I’ll give the trains right of way and you should to. Log trucks on our highways all over the county drive to fast and are always in a big hurry. I know they have to make loads to get paid but, money is not everything in this life. Drivers think next time is it worth dying for and never seeing your family again and causing them so much pain because you were STUPID. I think NOT.
Why do people insist on trying to beat a train. You never win. And then they have the audacity to blame the train for hitting THEM. It happens time and time again and no one ever learns. Just wait a minute ot two, instead of holding everyone else up for hours. It’s not worth the risk.
Glad everyone is okay, but it didn’t do the train drivers heart or nerves any good.
Here’s your sign; the ‘rule of raw tonnage’ is at work, and trying to beat a train is just plain stupid!