A derailed freight train that was hit by a truck carrying woodchips on Maine’s Route 11 in Masardis on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
A truck slammed into a freight train in northern Maine on Wednesday, leaving the truck's driver seriously hurt and derailing the train, police said.
The crash left Route 11 in Masardis closed, possibly for two or three days, while equipment is brought to the town to re-rail the train, according to Maine State Police.
The driver, James Tapley, a 26-year-old from Monticello, was rushed to a Presque Isle hospital to be treated for his injuries. A dog inside the car was also injured, according to police.
The crash took place about 1:18 p.m. The Bartlett Forest Products-owned tractor-trailer, which was carrying woodchips, was unable to stop before the rail crossing, hitting the train, according to police.
At least one train car was off the tracks, according to images of the scene shared by authorities. The crash also caused freight from both the truck and the train to spill.
Masardis is a small town near Presque Isle and the border with New Brunswick, Canada.
