Insisting on making the left turn following the move across the tracks, could have cost the driver of the truck, fellow motorists, and train crew their lives. We’ve got to do better. That was completely avoidable.
For context, I’ve been driving for forty years now. I own 5 trucks, have 4 guys driving for me. This video is shocking. Bad enough the driver waited for traffic to clear, but to attempt the left turn? In that situation he should have taken the gravel lot. Sorry, but this is 100% bad choices on the drivers part
This is mind-blowing. That truck literally stayed on the tracks rather than move beyond the turn. He wasn't trapped, stuck or in any way compromised yet expected people to clear the turn for him. He should have to pay all the costs involved to clean this up. He should also have his CDL revoked.
CDL Driver Disqualification For Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Offenses: The driver fails to have sufficient space to drive completely through the crossing without stopping.
He was trying to make an Immediate left turn at the place he stopped at( see blinker). He should have just pulled further straight instead of waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn
Truck wanted to turn left, looked at his wheels. Too stubborn to go turn around. Grand job indeed of the other drivers to back up when they realized what was gonna happen. Glad no one was hurt.
That is almost exactly what happened. He tried to take the turn nice and wide to miss the cars already there, but it wasn't wide enough (likely couldn't be wide enough - long load, short intersection) so he wanted the other cars to move so he wouldn't hit them with the trailer, but he was so fixated with staying on the road through the turn as he was "supposed to" that he didn't recognize this huge gravel lot next to him he could have pulled in to in order to clear the tracks.
I looked at the Google Maps of the area and that yellow square where that White work truck is parked on says “do not block intersection”. Probably for this very reason.
The truck absolutely could clear the tracks. It did not bottom out. There was plenty of space in front. The only possible blockage, was the pickup in the left turn only lane, and that pickup had backed up out of the way. Because all those cars around him could see what was coming, but this genius just sat there. He and/or his trucking company should be responsible for ALL damages!
He was trying to turn left into whatever driveway was there, he was waiting for the cars to move and allow his turn instead of simply pulling straight forward to clear the tracks.
He was trying to make an Immediate left turn at the place he stopped at( see blinker). He should have just pulled further straight instead of waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn
He’s trying to make another left turn on the road parallel to the tracks off camera but the line of cars is blocking him. But yeah it looks more like a case of lack of situational awareness by the truck driver in not knowing his trailer did not clear the tracks.
Maybe he had really loud music or headphones? It almost looks like he was trying to make a left turn. There is no other reason for not pulling forward.
@@littlebitofhope1489 There's an ongoing stereotype in the trucking industry with people who drive white Volvos (like the one here). It's often told, that if you see a white Volvo, they are usually texting or watching a tv show as they go down the road. Of course, this isn't the case with every white Volvo truck driver, but I've seen my fair share with their bare feet up on the dash going down the interstate.
Austell is in my backyard, I’ve been watching trains out there since I was a toddler. Great to see you guys installed a camera in a well deserved location. Great work virtual railfan team!
@@Berserk_LoonThey do it sometimes, the crossing a few hundred feet down from that one is prohibited to be crossed by semi trucks but a couple of them have tried it and found out the hard way. He was more than likely going to turn left and keep going down but who really knows where the drivers mind was at this morning. He could’ve went straight and stayed on Veterans Memorial and crossed over the bridge to avoid the railroad tracks all together, but this is just an assumption I have no idea where he was going or what he was doing .
I like the fact the drivers were realizing... this is going to be bad. That Truck driver obviously didn't know the crossing arrangement and learned an expensive life's lesson and finding a new career opportunity.
For the longest time I was like when is this poor guy going to accelerate? The result was more than I expected. I am glad that everyone got out uninjured. Yikes!
That almost looked deliberate ! The driver had sufficient room to pull forward. Was the driver confused and thinking the train would be on the other tracks and not the one behind ?? I am glad the other drivers moved away to avoid damages and injuries. Wow, just wow.
Looks to me the truck driver simply was not aware of the train and was trying to make a left turn but the other vehicles were blocking his way. Search for the map for Powder Springs Rd, Austell, Georgia. You will see the yellow hash marks on the road with the warning "Do not block intersection" painted before them. Those markings indicate to me that this is a known issue for that intersection.
Yeah, I was thinking all the traffic was sitting in a hashed zone. But the driver still shouldn't have committed to the turn and instead opted for driving forward.
As a truck driver, I think he should of gone straight temporarily, then sort out the left turn thing later with the train coming. Even if people didn't stop in the hash-marked area, the hash-marked area still wasn't painted wide enough for the flatbed (with the special trailer extension behind the fifth wheel) to make the turn with traffic around it.
I used to spend hours here more than a decade ago and never (thankfully) witnessed a collision. Truth be known, the truck actually COULD have cleared the crossing (the northbound gate for the GA Division line was raised and clear), he WOULDN'T. He was wedded to making the left immediately after crossing the AL Division, instead of just moving forward and turning around further north. Good to finally see Austell added to the lineup - it has a lot of traffic of all types except commuter, as it serves as the entry/exit point for Atlanta Terminal District traffic to the west (AL Division to Birmingham and onward to Meridian/New Orleans) and north (GA Division to Chattanooga and the midwest).
The other people synchronized reversing lol they were like, "we've seen this movie before! it doesn't end well...". That truck driver is a meatball though. SMH
So I opened google earth and took a look at this location. It looks like he was planning on taking a street to the right of the camera (left hand turn for him) once he crossed the tracks but the cars were in the way. So he was so insistent on making the turn he waited for the other cars to move out of his way and got hit by the train instead of, you know, pulling forward and being forced to make a loop back around so he didn't get hit by the train. What's worse is based on the cargo he is carrying it looks like he was only a few hundred feet from his destination (hence why he was so insistent on making the turn).
I've been there recently. There's a "DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION" painted on the road there, but I guess the other cars didn't do that. The truck also could have gone forward or right into the lot to avoid the crash.
The collision happened because the truck was trying to MAKE A SECOND LEFT TURN instead of just going straight. The stupidity is unbelievable. You can see him signalling to go left again right before the collision happened. He wasn't blocked from proceeding straight at all by the time the train arrived. There were no vehicles left next to his trailer.
It looks like the driver was pretty adamant about making a left turn for some reason. I wonder if he/she was even aware that the trailer wasn't clear of the tracks and/or that a train was approaching?
He was trying to make an Immediate left turn at the place he stopped at( see blinker). He should have just pulled further straight instead of waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn
If this truck driver was blocked from completing the turn that the camera didn't pick up, the driver had a vast open field on the right and could have just headed straight into. Anything is better than being taken out by a train.
Wow love how the cars were blocking the intersection for the street the truck was attempting to turn at. And isn’t it cool how they moved from those spots where they weren’t supposed to be just before the crash. Had they not been there in the first place the crash wouldn’t have happened.
@@darrencatenacci2737 i understand this could possibly be sarcasm but ill be honest its the trucker’s fault its very clearly the trucker’s fault. all the other cars there were already stopped, they didnt know what the trucker was doing even with the blinker. if you’re turning you dont have the right of way even with trucks, you dont see an entire divided highway come to a stop just for a truck entering from a perpendicular road.
wow everyone backing up so everyone else could get out of the way was really impressive. well done to all of those people. The semi driver on the other hand. what were they doing?
That trucking company should be forced to pay every nickel for the damage, clean-up, delays and compensation for negligence from that incident. Just like railways do for any derailment.
No, it's Atlanta... They give them out to anyone who dares take a job like that. Typical Atlanta truck driver has no (cares) to give about their job, the people around them or the lives they put at risk. I hope they cited him for being careless.
@ 08.36.37 You can hear the train sounding its Horn, so that should have been alarm bells to stay where the truck was before crossing although the Gates took a further 20 seconds to sound the alarm & close, , The truck could have easily cleared the tracks, All the driver had to do is Pull forward instantly as the further track was cleared but for some unknown reason he decided to just stop there for almost 20 seconds in which the train arrived at the crossing a seconds later causing it crash into the trailer.
there is no way that truck driver did not hear the horn of the approaching train, and then still decided to not go straight to get himself off the tracks. unbelievable.
Ya gotta admire the dedication of the truck driver to make that second left turn no matter what the cost. Could have pulled on straight after the first left or even made a right turn onto the flat between the two sets of tracks; I am sure the railway would have made an exception for turning onto their property considering what ended up happening.
Sometimes in life when you decide to take a turn into a new direction, you can't go back. Even others around you can see the danger coming. But you must hold your ground. And sometimes you have to take the full force of whatever comes at you, even if it completely turns your life on its side.
It's possible (probable, even) that the truck driver had no idea of the danger. Consider - it's Georgia in the summer, so likely hot, so he had the A/C on with the windows up. Add to that he might have had the radio on loud. He would not have heard the train horn or crossing bells, and unless he thought to look, he would not have seen the gates or flashing lights. Cars backing up were just being polite. It's a "perfect storm" and emphasizes a good lesson - "Always be aware of where you are and EVERYTHING that is going on around you, and be prepared for all eventualities.". You never know.
"unless he thought to look, ". That's the key phrase, right there. How could a truck driver pull through a railroad crossing and not look behind him to make sure he's clear when he stops his truck? Even in a car, when I go over a RR crossing, my mind is consumed with making sure I get off those tracks, just out of self preservation. Wouldn't it be complete second nature for a truck driver to make sure his trailer is clear after he goes over some railroad tracks?
Evenn with the trucks clearing the area, he committed himself to a left turn rather than going straight and getting his rearend off the tracks. Smart like log.
Even if there are grade crossings further down outside the frame, the way the engineer was hanging on that horn long after the impact makes it feel like just pure frustration at what just happened...
He stayed braced through impact in case of derailment, wasn't going to be moving hands around ... and to warn unknown down track people that he could be pushing debris well outside his normal footprint
Either the truck driver froze or he wanted to turn left and wasn't either aware of the train or thought they would move in time. The grey pickup wins the awareness award for being the first to figure out there was about to be a BFD...
some truckers shouldn't have CDL's. why was he waiting? he was CLEAR to move forward then backup after its all clear or turn around then come back.. Brains are missing in people
Guy probably had his windows closed, the A/C on, and his radio on loud. A new law needs to be made: Truck drivers, upon entering within one-hundred feet of a rail crossing, will turn off their radios and open their windows to hear nearby train horns. All bus drivers must open their windows and doors when approaching railroad crossings. Because of the inherent noise in a truck, they should need to do it too!
@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Okay expert, riddle me this. Would accidents like these go up or down after enforcing the law? And if accidents do decrease, is the inconvenience to truckers too great to make the change worth it?
This is wild because as I began watching, I thought, "That looks like Austell." Then I noticed it at the top of the screen. I grew up in Mableton. 👍🏻 🇺🇸
I agree with you there. The timing between when the lights come on and the train comes through is unacceptably short, as is the time between the flashing lights and the gates coming down. This driver made a bad mistake. But with that gate/light timing, I could well imagine a case where a driver would be held up by other traffic after going partially over the tracks and find himself trapped through no fault of his own.
Something very wrong with the driver of that semi... Completely and totally not paying attention to their surroundings. Ignored the horn, didn't look at the main before crossing as required by federal law, wasn't stuck on the tracks... Just sat there with a "everybody get out of my way" attitude. The driver just found out that the train always wins. Like others, I'm highly impressed with the skill of the others in backing out of a bad situation 🙂
Don't be too quick to judge. The 'Tractor Trailer' ('Truck') has a heavy load of steel beams on an extra-long trailer and intends to (or must) make a left turn to cross the railroad tracks. The street the Truck is beginning from is very close to the railroad tracks, making a safe turn very questionable. 00:09 Truck begins left turn, Train Horn sounds first warning, Crossing Gate is up and has not begun to flash or sound. 00:19 Truck is mid-turn about to move onto tracks, Crossing Gate is up and has not begun to flash or sound. 00:27 Truck has stopped (? It appears he would have hit the pick-up. ?), Crossing Gate is still up and will start to close at 00:28 00:29 Crossing gate is closing and Train horn sounds. At this point, 20 seconds after the driver proceeded to begin his turn, he is faced with a dilemma (a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made quickly between multiple alternatives that might prove to be equally undesirable.) 1. He can't back-up without catastrophic consequences. 2. Proceed forward and possibly destroy the pick-up possibly injuring its occupants (and badly damage his own truck or trailer.) 3. Turn right onto the gravel area and risk getting stuck (possibly with the trailer still on the railroad tracks.) 4. ????? 5. Do nothing and let the train crash into the trailer. 00:34 Truck is slowly moving forward still trying to stay on the pavement, Crossing Gate is closing, Train horn is sounding steadily, Pick-up is no longer visible. 00:42 First cars are beginning to move out of the way. 00:48 Truck is beginning to move forward, Tain horn is sounding steadily, Pick-up is visible moving in reverse. 00:52 Truck appears to be attempting to move and appears to be stalling ( ? ) 00:56 Collision - 27 seconds after the Crossing Gate began to close. Now, having had several minutes to mull over the possibilities, tell everyone what you would have done differently in those 27 seconds that possibly (or not) might have saved the day.
I wanted to condemn the driver from the start. Considering it's a new camera we're not familiar with the area. I went straight to a map of the intersections. What might not be noticed is they wanted to turn left on Humphries Hill RD. The yellow striped area on the street is the swing area for semi's to turn left. They turned the left turn signal back on after making the turn. They didn't remember that the back end was so long. The center of the trailer show the overlapping sections. You can see the open section by the missing flat bed over the extended area. It is the section that twisted the easiest. Thank fully the train came from the direction it did! at the end of the day it is still driver error! this really sucks for that driver. Very glad the driver is ok!
As a former truck driver and retired I know I made my share of mistakes but this one here is a doozy not sure if the gravel area to his right was solid but still there was some pavement left on the right side but this was a bad idea from the word go.
Why didn't the mook move?! He saw it coming! He stopped dead in the middle of the track! What was he thinking? Did he think the train would stop for him? Yeah...guess again! I hope he wasn't hurt
9875 "Not a scratch" My understanding is he or she was bent on trying to make that left hand turn. Why didn't they just go straight and clear the tracks. You had all that open lot to the right of you. This has to be one of the most unnerving things for the train driver. That driver of that train needs to be paid more to put up with this kind of stuff. He is not squeezing hand brakes on a bicycle trying to stop all that. Hopefully everyone is okay.
Luckily, it didn’t destroy the traffic lights and hopefully nobody was hurt, but the truck driver probably felt that impact probably escape with minor injuries
@@Anitasemp Nah that's a bad idea. It's a semi truck. There's an intersection behind him. He could run over or hit someone, and not only that, but it would put the cab in the path of the train.
@@turnerdeedo4633 The problem isn't that it's a semi but the length. You saw how wide he had to make the initial turn; backing a rig that long ain't easy for a seasoned pro driver.
This happened in Austell, GA. The driver was on Highway 78, made a left turn onto Powder Springs Rd., then attempting to make another left turn onto Humphries Hill Rd.
It appears the driver wanted to turn to his left instead of moving straight forward. I want to give the driver some level of logic. However, its probably one of those cases were the obvious choice is blocked by tunnel vision.
Send this footage to Austell Police Department and the FRA. A Trucking Organization is about to Lose A Lot of Money, and a Trucker is about to be without a Job and in the Toilet Financially.
Dude needs his CDL revoked. Didn't bottom out, the vehicles in the turn lane were no factor for him since his trailer was already straightened out, just straight up parked the truck in the way.
The railroad gate landed on the back of his truck. I guess he thought he didn't want to damage the gate! Oh no! Damage the entire truck, trailer and load instead, create big costs for cleanups, cause the train to be delayed. So many reasons to just damage the gate instead.
Truck driver clearly could have moved forward, but no. He had to keep the end of the trailer on the tracks. Or, he could have turned right, to clear the rear of the trailer from the tracks.
The driver’s eyes were on the goal and not on the process to that goal. Possession of a CDL only means you can operate a truck. Situational awareness is not as common as might be thought.
I truly do not understand. How is it that with all the decades of operation lifesaver and all the technological advancements of grade crossings and signals do we still keep having accidents like this on a regular basis? It has got to be the human element. I do not understand why we're still having these problems with these crossings and accidents
This one was exactly the driver committing to making the left turn after crossing the tracks instead of moving straight forward to clear the tracks. Once the cars moved away, the truck tried to hurry into the turn but didn't make it in time.
Is it a requirement for truck drivers to have ZERO situational awareness and problem solving skills? He literally had an open gravel parking lot to his right!!
Blame is entirely on the trucker. He was fine, even after the gates went down. His mistake was not moving to the left. If he'd done that he would have had plenty of time and certainly room to complete the turn. He might have needed help getting out being the other tracks, but the truck wouldn't have been hit.
I think he might have been confused by the extra crossing. If that were me, I would've just crossed the second set of tracks, which appeared to be clear, but that's only because I happen to know how these types of crossings are wired. They don't teach these kinds of complex crossings in training.
I wonder if they thought the train was coming on the track in the foreground? Just before impact, the truck seemed to be making the left turn it wanted. Oblivious until impact.
That was a driver who is unqualified to operate that vehicle! The driver should ALWAYS know the size of their trailer and load, plan and drive accordingly!
What a maroon. Hope he loses his CDL for life. He could have gone into the gravel on his right. And those other drivers should have seen the impending crash and moved sooner.
Even if that white truck wasn't in the yellow box area, I doubt that truck would've been able to make that left turn with that trailer. Probably had something playing in their ear and didn't hear the horn.
Makes me wonder if Cincinnati Junction, which is what the name of this is, has the potential to be another La Grange KY or Ashland where there are a lot of knuckleheads. Can't wait for this one and the other one I know about to go live.
Wonder if the diver was fooled by the gates in front turning on, not being aware that the gates behind the cab were the ones that were coming down, for the train on that track. in any case seems like a combo of unfamiliarity of the area and poor situational awareness.
I agree with the last post, he had plenty of space in front,to the right, to avoid this. I can only rationalize that he thought he was clear. I would lay on the horn and push the 4 wheelers out of the way if I could see this coming.
The coordinated backup by the other cars to get out of the way was really well done. Not everyone can reverse under pressure like that.
Agreed. All the other cars knew they better scatter.
I don't get why he stopped. He could have pulled off into the dirt.
@littlebitofhope1489 probably panicked. Yes he could have but not everyone thinks quickly in these kinds of situations
Why didn't he just keep driving forward on the road?
I'm glad the cars did back up. It could have been a much more cataclysmic collision had they stayed in place where they were initially
Insisting on making the left turn following the move across the tracks, could have cost the driver of the truck, fellow motorists, and train crew their lives. We’ve got to do better. That was completely avoidable.
For context, I’ve been driving for forty years now. I own 5 trucks, have 4 guys driving for me. This video is shocking. Bad enough the driver waited for traffic to clear, but to attempt the left turn? In that situation he should have taken the gravel lot. Sorry, but this is 100% bad choices on the drivers part
Yep
Yep, or go straight & make a u turn later.
This is mind-blowing. That truck literally stayed on the tracks rather than move beyond the turn. He wasn't trapped, stuck or in any way compromised yet expected people to clear the turn for him. He should have to pay all the costs involved to clean this up. He should also have his CDL revoked.
yea he could have gone and drove in to that gravel area, a tow truck would have been a lot cheaper
CDL Driver Disqualification For Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Offenses: The driver fails to have sufficient space to drive completely through the crossing without stopping.
It looked like the rear of his over length trailer wasn't going to clear the green truck in the left turn lane. Idk
He was trying to make an Immediate left turn at the place he stopped at( see blinker). He should have just pulled further straight instead of waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn
@@sct4501 If you hear a train horn, make sure nothing you're in is on the track. You can work out the rest later... because there will be a later.
he had plenty of room in front to clear the tracks! gotta love all the cars getting outta the way knowing what was about to happen!
Don't understand why he didn't move forward as well, far as I can tell no trains were approaching on the track ahead of the truck😮
@texastrainfan5615 if that was the case, he wouldn't be straight in his lane. they heard the horns and froze up
That truck's destination is left (I think), but I would have gone straight to avoid the crash. I guess he REALLY wanted to go left.
@@texastrainfan56how were the cars in the way if he could pull forward?
Right??
Truck wanted to turn left, looked at his wheels. Too stubborn to go turn around. Grand job indeed of the other drivers to back up when they realized what was gonna happen. Glad no one was hurt.
That is almost exactly what happened. He tried to take the turn nice and wide to miss the cars already there, but it wasn't wide enough (likely couldn't be wide enough - long load, short intersection) so he wanted the other cars to move so he wouldn't hit them with the trailer, but he was so fixated with staying on the road through the turn as he was "supposed to" that he didn't recognize this huge gravel lot next to him he could have pulled in to in order to clear the tracks.
I looked at the Google Maps of the area and that yellow square where that White work truck is parked on says “do not block intersection”. Probably for this very reason.
The truck absolutely could clear the tracks. It did not bottom out. There was plenty of space in front. The only possible blockage, was the pickup in the left turn only lane, and that pickup had backed up out of the way. Because all those cars around him could see what was coming, but this genius just sat there. He and/or his trucking company should be responsible for ALL damages!
genius 👍
He was trying to turn left into whatever driveway was there, he was waiting for the cars to move and allow his turn instead of simply pulling straight forward to clear the tracks.
He was trying to make an Immediate left turn at the place he stopped at( see blinker). He should have just pulled further straight instead of waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn
He was making a left turn....
Everyone moved for him, he should have just floored it
Even with the other cars taking off he still didn't move forward.
Well he is probably panicking and when you Panic you don't always do the most logical things
He’s trying to make another left turn on the road parallel to the tracks off camera but the line of cars is blocking him. But yeah it looks more like a case of lack of situational awareness by the truck driver in not knowing his trailer did not clear the tracks.
Maybe he had really loud music or headphones? It almost looks like he was trying to make a left turn. There is no other reason for not pulling forward.
@@littlebitofhope1489 There's an ongoing stereotype in the trucking industry with people who drive white Volvos (like the one here). It's often told, that if you see a white Volvo, they are usually texting or watching a tv show as they go down the road.
Of course, this isn't the case with every white Volvo truck driver, but I've seen my fair share with their bare feet up on the dash going down the interstate.
He had time to go forward, off the tracks or am I wrong?
Austell is in my backyard, I’ve been watching trains out there since I was a toddler. Great to see you guys installed a camera in a well deserved location. Great work virtual railfan team!
Since you say you know Austell, would a semi that long be turning onto Humphries Hill Rd be a normal thing?
@@Berserk_LoonThey do it sometimes, the crossing a few hundred feet down from that one is prohibited to be crossed by semi trucks but a couple of them have tried it and found out the hard way. He was more than likely going to turn left and keep going down but who really knows where the drivers mind was at this morning. He could’ve went straight and stayed on Veterans Memorial and crossed over the bridge to avoid the railroad tracks all together, but this is just an assumption I have no idea where he was going or what he was doing .
Do people always ignore the pavement markings there saying DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION?
@@stevegird7706
Often.
As I suspected. Those hash marks were put there for a reason. That reason just became clear.@@rowanhard
So so sad. He could have bailed off to the right into that paved lot.
Or bailed straight instead of committing to making the left turn blocked by the traffic.
Hard right to the gravel area, save the rig. Just enough to clear the tracks.
I like the fact the drivers were realizing... this is going to be bad. That Truck driver obviously didn't know the crossing arrangement and learned an expensive life's lesson and finding a new career opportunity.
GOOD GRIEF! The truck driver had a whole gravel lot to his left! Why didn't he just bail into it and worry about reorienting afterwards?
to his right
Shocking the driver didn't realize something was wrong when all the other cars got out of the way.
I think he did. When they all pulled back, he started to move, but he was too late.
Sleeping or on cell phone checking with Alexa how to get out of that jam.
For the longest time I was like when is this poor guy going to accelerate? The result was more than I expected. I am glad that everyone got out uninjured. Yikes!
That almost looked deliberate ! The driver had sufficient room to pull forward. Was the driver confused and thinking the train would be on the other tracks and not the one behind ?? I am glad the other drivers moved away to avoid damages and injuries. Wow, just wow.
Looks to me the truck driver simply was not aware of the train and was trying to make a left turn but the other vehicles were blocking his way. Search for the map for Powder Springs Rd, Austell, Georgia. You will see the yellow hash marks on the road with the warning "Do not block intersection" painted before them. Those markings indicate to me that this is a known issue for that intersection.
Yeah, I was thinking all the traffic was sitting in a hashed zone. But the driver still shouldn't have committed to the turn and instead opted for driving forward.
Except you can see the train easily if you look left to turn into Humphries Hill Rd. It runs alongside the tracks.
As a truck driver, I think he should of gone straight temporarily, then sort out the left turn thing later with the train coming. Even if people didn't stop in the hash-marked area, the hash-marked area still wasn't painted wide enough for the flatbed (with the special trailer extension behind the fifth wheel) to make the turn with traffic around it.
Probably one of those truckers with headphones in his ears and didn't even hear the train horn.
I used to spend hours here more than a decade ago and never (thankfully) witnessed a collision. Truth be known, the truck actually COULD have cleared the crossing (the northbound gate for the GA Division line was raised and clear), he WOULDN'T. He was wedded to making the left immediately after crossing the AL Division, instead of just moving forward and turning around further north.
Good to finally see Austell added to the lineup - it has a lot of traffic of all types except commuter, as it serves as the entry/exit point for Atlanta Terminal District traffic to the west (AL Division to Birmingham and onward to Meridian/New Orleans) and north (GA Division to Chattanooga and the midwest).
The other people synchronized reversing lol they were like, "we've seen this movie before! it doesn't end well...". That truck driver is a meatball though. SMH
WHY DID HE WAIT???? HE HAD ROOM TO MOVE FORWARD>>>>
So I opened google earth and took a look at this location. It looks like he was planning on taking a street to the right of the camera (left hand turn for him) once he crossed the tracks but the cars were in the way. So he was so insistent on making the turn he waited for the other cars to move out of his way and got hit by the train instead of, you know, pulling forward and being forced to make a loop back around so he didn't get hit by the train.
What's worse is based on the cargo he is carrying it looks like he was only a few hundred feet from his destination (hence why he was so insistent on making the turn).
Yes, that is what I thought too@@graugger5918
I've been there recently. There's a "DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION" painted on the road there, but I guess the other cars didn't do that. The truck also could have gone forward or right into the lot to avoid the crash.
They might have freaked out when the crossing activated, seeing how they didn't pull all the way up to the other crossing.
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The collision happened because the truck was trying to MAKE A SECOND LEFT TURN instead of just going straight. The stupidity is unbelievable. You can see him signalling to go left again right before the collision happened. He wasn't blocked from proceeding straight at all by the time the train arrived. There were no vehicles left next to his trailer.
It looks like the driver was pretty adamant about making a left turn for some reason. I wonder if he/she was even aware that the trailer wasn't clear of the tracks and/or that a train was approaching?
If they weren't aware of either, they shouldn't be driving a truck in my opinion.
He was trying to make an Immediate left turn at the place he stopped at( see blinker). He should have just pulled further straight instead of waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn
If this truck driver was blocked from completing the turn that the camera didn't pick up, the driver had a vast open field on the right and could have just headed straight into.
Anything is better than being taken out by a train.
It’s called rear view mirrors and always be aware of where you are. Rules of the road, especially in trucking.
@@stevenstorey1945
I’m the greater rock/paper/scissors world, train always beats everything.
Wow. I love how the cars saw what was happening and QUICKLY backed up out of the way. That should have given the trucker a clue.
Wow love how the cars were blocking the intersection for the street the truck was attempting to turn at. And isn’t it cool how they moved from those spots where they weren’t supposed to be just before the crash. Had they not been there in the first place the crash wouldn’t have happened.
@@darrencatenacci2737
i understand this could possibly be sarcasm but ill be honest its the trucker’s fault its very clearly the trucker’s fault. all the other cars there were already stopped, they didnt know what the trucker was doing even with the blinker. if you’re turning you dont have the right of way even with trucks, you dont see an entire divided highway come to a stop just for a truck entering from a perpendicular road.
wow everyone backing up so everyone else could get out of the way was really impressive. well done to all of those people. The semi driver on the other hand. what were they doing?
Probably checking his GPS.
That trucking company should be forced to pay every nickel for the damage, clean-up, delays and compensation for negligence from that incident.
Just like railways do for any derailment.
I swear they give CDLs to anyone that lives and breaths today. This one just makes me smack my head. Should have his CDL taken away
It looks like a trucking company owes a train company for some head end repair plus some PTSD treatment for the train crew.
I think that somebody just lost their commercial driver's license....
No, it's Atlanta... They give them out to anyone who dares take a job like that. Typical Atlanta truck driver has no (cares) to give about their job, the people around them or the lives they put at risk. I hope they cited him for being careless.
@ 08.36.37 You can hear the train sounding its Horn, so that should have been alarm bells to stay where the truck was before crossing although the Gates took a further 20 seconds to sound the alarm & close, , The truck could have easily cleared the tracks, All the driver had to do is Pull forward instantly as the further track was cleared but for some unknown reason he decided to just stop there for almost 20 seconds in which the train arrived at the crossing a seconds later causing it crash into the trailer.
there is no way that truck driver did not hear the horn of the approaching train, and then still decided to not go straight to get himself off the tracks. unbelievable.
Well that’s a way to start off a new cam!
Ya gotta admire the dedication of the truck driver to make that second left turn no matter what the cost. Could have pulled on straight after the first left or even made a right turn onto the flat between the two sets of tracks; I am sure the railway would have made an exception for turning onto their property considering what ended up happening.
Sometimes in life when you decide to take a turn into a new direction, you can't go back. Even others around you can see the danger coming. But you must hold your ground. And sometimes you have to take the full force of whatever comes at you, even if it completely turns your life on its side.
but if you could have gotten out of the way... don't blame anyone but yourself
Haha! I like that metaphor!
LOL
… or just go around the block and try again.
It's possible (probable, even) that the truck driver had no idea of the danger. Consider - it's Georgia in the summer, so likely hot, so he had the A/C on with the windows up. Add to that he might have had the radio on loud. He would not have heard the train horn or crossing bells, and unless he thought to look, he would not have seen the gates or flashing lights. Cars backing up were just being polite. It's a "perfect storm" and emphasizes a good lesson - "Always be aware of where you are and EVERYTHING that is going on around you, and be prepared for all eventualities.". You never know.
"unless he thought to look, ". That's the key phrase, right there. How could a truck driver pull through a railroad crossing and not look behind him to make sure he's clear when he stops his truck? Even in a car, when I go over a RR crossing, my mind is consumed with making sure I get off those tracks, just out of self preservation. Wouldn't it be complete second nature for a truck driver to make sure his trailer is clear after he goes over some railroad tracks?
Evenn with the trucks clearing the area, he committed himself to a left turn rather than going straight and getting his rearend off the tracks. Smart like log.
Even if there are grade crossings further down outside the frame, the way the engineer was hanging on that horn long after the impact makes it feel like just pure frustration at what just happened...
He stayed braced through impact in case of derailment, wasn't going to be moving hands around ... and to warn unknown down track people that he could be pushing debris well outside his normal footprint
Either the truck driver froze or he wanted to turn left and wasn't either aware of the train or thought they would move in time. The grey pickup wins the awareness award for being the first to figure out there was about to be a BFD...
I'm totally confused he didn't move forward. It looked like he had tons of room to clear the tracks. Former S.W.I.F.T. driver?
For those that don't know: Sure Wish I Finished Training...
This one couldn’t even pass the SWIFT exam of sitting in a seat and turn the key to “start”.
That turned out to be one expensive left turn!
Or an expensive *attempted* left turn (the one after the tracks)
some truckers shouldn't have CDL's. why was he waiting? he was CLEAR to move forward then backup after its all clear or turn around then come back.. Brains are missing in people
Because no one got hurt i can watch/listen so many times
The truck has a sticker "I don't brake for animals" on the windshield. The train has a sticker saying "I don't brake for trucks" on the windshield.
Watching his, or her, trucking career flush away right there!
100% truck driver error, all vehicles had moved in time for him to go..
That person should never be allowed to drive a truck again. Specialty hauling, no excuses.
Wow that traffic made a smart move backing up
Guy probably had his windows closed, the A/C on, and his radio on loud. A new law needs to be made: Truck drivers, upon entering within one-hundred feet of a rail crossing, will turn off their radios and open their windows to hear nearby train horns. All bus drivers must open their windows and doors when approaching railroad crossings. Because of the inherent noise in a truck, they should need to do it too!
Everybody's an expert that doesn't drive a truck🤯
Why don't you draft bill then you're an expert on transportation safety apparently
@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Okay expert, riddle me this. Would accidents like these go up or down after enforcing the law? And if accidents do decrease, is the inconvenience to truckers too great to make the change worth it?
Hazmat, flammable, and possibly some other loads (compressed gases I believe) are required to stop for grade crossings just like passenger buses.
Dang that driver's day didn't go well that sucks.but that was a nice WFRX MAC trailing in 2nd nonetheless haha.😊❤😨👍
lol I've caught that WFRX a couple times.
@@LancesLens haha nice 👍
If those other vehicles had not moved at the same time, the cab would have landed on top of at least 2 of them. That was some backing under pressure.
This is wild because as I began watching, I thought, "That looks like Austell." Then I noticed it at the top of the screen.
I grew up in Mableton.
👍🏻
🇺🇸
The little herd of pickups Ging TFO is excellent.
5 seconds after the red signal, the barriers go down. 10 seconds later, the train rushes through. You americans are not wasting time.
I agree with you there. The timing between when the lights come on and the train comes through is unacceptably short, as is the time between the flashing lights and the gates coming down. This driver made a bad mistake. But with that gate/light timing, I could well imagine a case where a driver would be held up by other traffic after going partially over the tracks and find himself trapped through no fault of his own.
Something very wrong with the driver of that semi... Completely and totally not paying attention to their surroundings. Ignored the horn, didn't look at the main before crossing as required by federal law, wasn't stuck on the tracks... Just sat there with a "everybody get out of my way" attitude.
The driver just found out that the train always wins.
Like others, I'm highly impressed with the skill of the others in backing out of a bad situation 🙂
Don't be too quick to judge.
The 'Tractor Trailer' ('Truck') has a heavy load of steel beams on an extra-long trailer and intends to (or must) make a left turn to cross the railroad tracks.
The street the Truck is beginning from is very close to the railroad tracks, making a safe turn very questionable.
00:09 Truck begins left turn, Train Horn sounds first warning, Crossing Gate is up and has not begun to flash or sound.
00:19 Truck is mid-turn about to move onto tracks, Crossing Gate is up and has not begun to flash or sound.
00:27 Truck has stopped (? It appears he would have hit the pick-up. ?), Crossing Gate is still up and will start to close at 00:28
00:29 Crossing gate is closing and Train horn sounds.
At this point, 20 seconds after the driver proceeded to begin his turn, he is faced with a dilemma (a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made quickly between multiple alternatives that might prove to be equally undesirable.)
1. He can't back-up without catastrophic consequences.
2. Proceed forward and possibly destroy the pick-up possibly injuring its occupants (and badly damage his own truck or trailer.)
3. Turn right onto the gravel area and risk getting stuck (possibly with the trailer still on the railroad tracks.)
4. ?????
5. Do nothing and let the train crash into the trailer.
00:34 Truck is slowly moving forward still trying to stay on the pavement, Crossing Gate is closing, Train horn is sounding steadily, Pick-up is no longer visible.
00:42 First cars are beginning to move out of the way.
00:48 Truck is beginning to move forward, Tain horn is sounding steadily, Pick-up is visible moving in reverse.
00:52 Truck appears to be attempting to move and appears to be stalling ( ? )
00:56 Collision - 27 seconds after the Crossing Gate began to close.
Now, having had several minutes to mull over the possibilities, tell everyone what you would have done differently in those 27 seconds that possibly (or not) might have saved the day.
I rather get stuck in the gravel rather then a train hit me or damage a car, that was probably too close to the line to let the truck turn
BTW, the trucker’s insurance will pay. The beams he was carrying will have to be inspected for damage and/or remade after that impact.
Jb n nj. Mkll
I wanted to condemn the driver from the start. Considering it's a new camera we're not familiar with the area. I went straight to a map of the intersections. What might not be noticed is they wanted to turn left on Humphries Hill RD. The yellow striped area on the street is the swing area for semi's to turn left. They turned the left turn signal back on after making the turn. They didn't remember that the back end was so long. The center of the trailer show the overlapping sections. You can see the open section by the missing flat bed over the extended area. It is the section that twisted the easiest. Thank fully the train came from the direction it did! at the end of the day it is still driver error! this really sucks for that driver. Very glad the driver is ok!
The semi didn't need to wait. He had some clearance to slowly proceed. Thankfully the driver was not hurt.
As a former truck driver and retired I know I made my share of mistakes but this one here is a doozy not sure if the gravel area to his right was solid but still there was some pavement left on the right side but this was a bad idea from the word go.
most competent truck driver
Why didn't the mook move?! He saw it coming! He stopped dead in the middle of the track! What was he thinking? Did he think the train would stop for him? Yeah...guess again! I hope he wasn't hurt
9875 "Not a scratch" My understanding is he or she was bent on trying to make that left hand turn. Why didn't they just go straight and clear the tracks. You had all that open lot to the right of you. This has to be one of the most unnerving things for the train driver. That driver of that train needs to be paid more to put up with this kind of stuff. He is not squeezing hand brakes on a bicycle trying to stop all that. Hopefully everyone is okay.
Luckily, it didn’t destroy the traffic lights and hopefully nobody was hurt, but the truck driver probably felt that impact probably escape with minor injuries
Dang! I wonder why he stopped on the tracks. Could he not have just driven straight forwards instead of trying to turn?
Bad judgement call.
Couldn't he have backed up and off the tracks?
@@Anitasemp Nah that's a bad idea. It's a semi truck. There's an intersection behind him. He could run over or hit someone, and not only that, but it would put the cab in the path of the train.
@@turnerdeedo4633 The problem isn't that it's a semi but the length. You saw how wide he had to make the initial turn; backing a rig that long ain't easy for a seasoned pro driver.
This happened in Austell, GA. The driver was on Highway 78, made a left turn onto Powder Springs Rd., then attempting to make another left turn onto Humphries Hill Rd.
It appears the driver wanted to turn to his left instead of moving straight forward. I want to give the driver some level of logic. However, its probably one of those cases were the obvious choice is blocked by tunnel vision.
Or brain damage at some point.
There was literally absolutely NO traffic in front of the truck. (I think) WHY would you stop on the tracks?
The pickup in the left lane was too close for his trailer to clear. But after it moved he should've moved also.
There is a road on the left that the trucker was trying to turn into.
Send this footage to Austell Police Department and the FRA.
A Trucking Organization is about to Lose A Lot of Money, and a Trucker is about to be without a Job and in the Toilet Financially.
Dude needs his CDL revoked. Didn't bottom out, the vehicles in the turn lane were no factor for him since his trailer was already straightened out, just straight up parked the truck in the way.
The railroad gate landed on the back of his truck. I guess he thought he didn't want to damage the gate! Oh no!
Damage the entire truck, trailer and load instead, create big costs for cleanups, cause the train to be delayed. So many reasons to just damage the gate instead.
Truck driver clearly could have moved forward, but no. He had to keep the end of the trailer on the tracks.
Or, he could have turned right, to clear the rear of the trailer from the tracks.
The driver’s eyes were on the goal and not on the process to that goal. Possession of a CDL only means you can operate a truck. Situational awareness is not as common as might be thought.
good thinking for those pick up trucks in that right lane
Oh my gosh! How did that even happen?!
Just glad it wasn't the Crescent.
At least the drivers in their (work) pickups got out of the way. I hope the trucker is alright.
I mean the work truck in left lane was the sitting in the do not block intersection area. Hopefully he got fined to.
That’s crazy… I couldn’t look away… I hope everyone is ok
Good lord ... that truck driver could've made a right and gotten clear of the tracks. Crazy.
First thought I have: Welp, that driver is gonna be fired.
Norfolk Southern Rule - When there is a tie at the crossing, you LOSE! That driver wins the darwin award for the year.
Well as least the train didn’t derail
They usually dont when hitting trucks.....just keep on rolling even under heavy braking....
I truly do not understand. How is it that with all the decades of operation lifesaver and all the technological advancements of grade crossings and signals do we still keep having accidents like this on a regular basis? It has got to be the human element. I do not understand why we're still having these problems with these crossings and accidents
This one was exactly the driver committing to making the left turn after crossing the tracks instead of moving straight forward to clear the tracks. Once the cars moved away, the truck tried to hurry into the turn but didn't make it in time.
This was not an accident. This was pure stupidity.
Is it a requirement for truck drivers to have ZERO situational awareness and problem solving skills? He literally had an open gravel parking lot to his right!!
I bet he had a radio on loud, or headphones and did not hear the bells or loud train horn.
That guy had plenty of room to get clear. Why are people so dumb?
vă mulțumesc că primesc notificari de la virtual Railfan!!!!!!!💻📡😃😃👍
Blame is entirely on the trucker. He was fine, even after the gates went down. His mistake was not moving to the left. If he'd done that he would have had plenty of time and certainly room to complete the turn. He might have needed help getting out being the other tracks, but the truck wouldn't have been hit.
Why didn’t he go? Truck didn’t look bottomed out and he didn’t stall. He also wasn’t blocked by any cars. Maybe panic got the best of him.
It looks like the driver was pretty adamant about making a left turn for some reason.
THATS WHAT IS CALLED,
WAITING AROUND FOR THE INSURANCE PAYOUT .
SATT.
I think he might have been confused by the extra crossing. If that were me, I would've just crossed the second set of tracks, which appeared to be clear, but that's only because I happen to know how these types of crossings are wired. They don't teach these kinds of complex crossings in training.
impatience truck driver = Darwinism at its best! ... truck dies @1:02 LOL
Poor Poor Traindriver.
Who cares about the truckdriver that literally didn't care.
Wth, that is some of the worst judgement I think I've ever seen.
I have plenty of space to move forward but I think I'll just kind of linger here.
I wonder if they thought the train was coming on the track in the foreground? Just before impact, the truck seemed to be making the left turn it wanted. Oblivious until impact.
That was a driver who is unqualified to operate that vehicle! The driver should ALWAYS know the size of their trailer and load, plan and drive accordingly!
What a maroon. Hope he loses his CDL for life. He could have gone into the gravel on his right. And those other drivers should have seen the impending crash and moved sooner.
If you think trains will stop if they see a car on the tracks, you're right. They will. About a mile after they hit you.
Stop. Trains can't.
Even if that white truck wasn't in the yellow box area, I doubt that truck would've been able to make that left turn with that trailer. Probably had something playing in their ear and didn't hear the horn.
Makes me wonder if Cincinnati Junction, which is what the name of this is, has the potential to be another La Grange KY or Ashland where there are a lot of knuckleheads. Can't wait for this one and the other one I know about to go live.
Wonder if the diver was fooled by the gates in front turning on, not being aware that the gates behind the cab were the ones that were coming down, for the train on that track. in any case seems like a combo of unfamiliarity of the area and poor situational awareness.
I agree with the last post, he had plenty of space in front,to the right, to avoid this. I can only rationalize that he thought he was clear. I would lay on the horn and push the 4 wheelers out of the way if I could see this coming.
Why is the camera not pointing at both crossings but covering mostly a gravel lot instead? Weird 🤔