A train collided with one Wind turbine blade on Sunday afternoon in South Texas after the truck with the turbine blade at a level crossing did not clear the tracks in time. Local news, KXANHe reports that there were no serious injuries in the collision. However, this turbine blade doesn’t look like it will make it. And the truck wasn’t doing well either. The train suffered some damage and some of its crew members were rushed to hospital by KEYE News.
The accident occurred in Luling, Texas, about 58 miles east of San Antonio. According to NEWS4SA, The intersection is “the first exit to Luling from US 183” and the locals know it as a dangerous intersection. The same report states that the truck was one of the few tractor units that carried the same load earlier in the day. Here is a view of the crash, from Twin Spur Ranch on Youtube:
KXAN claims the level crossing arms were not down when the truck tried to cross the tracks. That turbine blade isn’t exactly an easy payload to transport and any turn would be difficult to do with this thing. A turn that involves a train crossing is just another stage of NOPE if there is any uncertainty. The same report has an alternative accident angle recorded by a neighboring gas station.
Wind turbine blades are more or less a common sight on Texas Highways because there are many wind farms here. The Lone Star State is a (mostly) flat and vast expanse of land that lends itself well to this particular renewable energy source.
The roads in Texas are a mix of long, wide freeways, complex intersections in places like Dallas or Houston, and old, narrow streets in places like Hill Country. One minute you’re traveling at high speed on the interstate and the next you’re crawling through oil refinery towns. Luling is one such city. I’m a little surprised that the Kenworth truck no longer had escort cars, especially as it was making its way through the streets.
