Train nearly strikes stalled tractor-trailer in Vancouver

A train stopped before hitting a stalled tractor in Vancouver on Friday afternoon.

Emergency personnel were called to the BNSF Railway tracks near Southeast 164th Avenue minutes after 2 p.m. for what was first reported as a train accident, according to emergency dispatch logs.

However, when crews arrived they learned that the train operator was able to stop and the rig was able to move, just moments before there was a crash, BNSF Spokesman Gus Melonas said.

The train, heading from Seattle to Pasco, was traveling east through Vancouver around a curve when the train operator saw the vehicle, Melonas said.

“The train crew went into an emergency brake application and stopped short of the vehicle,” Melonas said. “At the last moment, the operator of the truck was able to pull the truck off of the crossing. … It was a very close-call situation,” he said.

A BNSF inspector responded to evaluate the condition of the crossing to ensure there was no damage, Melonas said. There was no derailment and no injuries, he said.

The train had four locomotives and 115 cars, 23 of which were filled with general freight and the other 92 were empty, Melonas said.

The train continued along its route just after 3 p.m.