Trains

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Well, I was sitting in traffic this afternoon at a strange intersection. I was on the street parallel to the train tracks and the cross street only had space for 2 cars between the traffic light of the major street that paralleled the tracks on the other side. Well, I was sitting there, waiting for the light to change, wondering what the cars and trucks that were just barely off the tracks would do if a train came. And that made me think of the time I saw a train/truck accident in 1976. Like the pickup trucks I saw today, the truck I saw wasn't really ON the tracks, but overhanging them. Maybe a fender just too close. Unlike the pickup trucks, this was a large truck, hauling a fork-lift on the flat bed. I saw the lights flashing and stopped. I also saw that the truck was on - or at least too close to - the tracks. "Hurry up, drive!" I said. Then: "Back up! Back UP!" But, I guess the truck was stalled. I held my hands over my ears - don't ask me why I do that, but I do - and the train came and hit the truck. Now, I could hear the train's brakes were on, and the engineer was blowing the horn. I remember seeing the truck fly up before the train blocked my view. The train continued to brake until there were only about 3 cars from the end when he finally got stopped. I said to myself. "well, I'm not going any where" and turned off the car. The car behind me, a gal in a a VW bug, made a u-turn and split. I said to her - like she could hear me - "don't ya know its illegal to leave the scene of an accident?" Pretty soon a police man came up. Down at the intersection the police blocked off the street. He asked me about what I saw, and wanted my info. "Is the truck driver all right?" I asked. The police man said he'd check. I waited, and waited. He came back and said the truck driver had only minor injuries, but the truck... He also said that they'd be getting the train out of the way pretty soon, but he'd like me to stay a bit longer incase they had more questions - as the only witness, that stayed. I had told them about the gal who left. I continued to wait and then the train moved up and I saw that I still wasn't going any where - even the policeman laughed. The truck was jack knived across the street. The fork lift that had been on the flatbed was off it and on the side of the road next to the truck. Now, I tell a joke about this event. I say, that I saw a truck get hit by a train. Happily the driver wasn't hurt, some scratches from the flying glass, but even the fork lift the truck was carrying jumped off to get away. So, have you ever seen a train hit a car or truck? Was anyone injured? did the insurance company call you? they did me. Tell me your story.