Truck Struck

By Amtrak Train

No one was injured Tuesday morning when a southbound Amtrak train struck the rear of a tractor-trailer unit, on a rail crossing at the Bethel/Royalton border.

The trailer was knocked into the air by the impact and sustained moderate damage. The train was delayed but only briefly.

"Considering what it was—a truck/train collision—it was a relatively minor accident," noted Tpr. Rich Slusser,.

According to Slusser, truck driver Gerald R. Tarr, 47, of Lisbon Falls, Maine, was traversing what is marked as a private crossing—one which has no lights or bells—at the time of the collision. Tarr told the trooper he was looking back to check his wheels and failed to notice the train or hear its whistle.

The crash occurred on a straightaway on the track, and the Amtrak conductor reported he was traveling about 50 mph when he spotted the truck one/half mile ahead. The conductor activated his breaks and sounded the whistle, and was able to reduce his speed to an estimated 5-10 mph by the time he reached the crossing.

The Amtrak engine struck the rear of the flat-bed trailer, causing damage in the vicinity of the two rear axles. The train engine sustained only minor damage.

To help Amtrak maintain its timetable, Slusser said he allowed the train to leave after collecting a brief report from the conductor.

Slusser said the crash was due to driver "inattention." Tarr, who was found at fault, will be ticketed.

Dave Bryant, engineering manager at CFM Manufacturing, which is adjacent to the Bethel Mills warehouse, told The Herald that Tarr’s 48-foot trailer "was knocked into the air and spun around sideways into an adjacent ditch" by the impact.

He said CFM employee Russell Pettingell used the company’s front-end loader to help remove the trailer from the ditch. A crane on site, belonging to New England Millwrights, was used to load the damaged trailer onto another truck and trailer.

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