A low boy tried to go over a restricted NJT train line crossing. Result was a smashed trailer and 2 injured passengers. Loco derailed but very little damage. Second incident at this crossing. Time to close this crossing ?
12:15 PM outbound train to Ridgewood struck trailer of some kind of pellets hung up between the gates in Garfield, NJ on the Bergen Co. line. Engineer, truck driver and one passenger with non life threatening injuries, 34 passengers, crew of 4. Line out of service since then with passengers encouraged to ride Main Line to Ridgewood and ride back to station on shuttle trains to Plauderville and Garfield. Rutherford passengers to Kingsland on the Main and shuttle bus to Rutherford. NJT tickets honored on Pascack Valley trains, and all area buses to and from NY. Loco damaged and derailed but train stayed on rails.
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Here is a link to some pictures along with an article in The Star-Ledger: http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2013/06/nj_transit_train_derailed_after_striking_truck_stuck_on_tracks_in_garfield.html#/0
There are a map and a couple of more pictures along with an article in the Bergen Record: http://www.northjersey.com/garfield/Northbound_train_collides_with_truck_in_Garfield.html
The trailer was not a low boy; it was a dry bulk commodity carrier filled with plastic pellets.
I wonder if the loading legs (what the newspaper article called pylons) on the trailer were fully raised? During my working days, I sometimes would find drivers who didn't bother fully raising the legs (it does take a lot of cranking to fully raise some legs). In my many years of commuting on I-80, it wouldn't be unusual to spot trailers with the legs raised only a few inches above the pavement. Is this why the legs caught on the track?
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