Texas train crashes into semi truck carrying expensive cargo after it was stuck on the tracks

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This is the shocking moment a train smashed into a semi truck stuck on Texas railroad tracks and destroyed the expensive wind turbine blade the vehicle was hauling. 

Daniel Canup, a driver for Minnesota company Northern Lights Specialized, LLC, was making a turn on Route 183 in Luling, about 50 miles south of Austin, when his oversized rig stopped on the tracks.  

Video footage recorded by a driver witnessing the scene captured the semi on the tracks with an escort vehicle sitting a few feet in front of it.

A semi truck carrying a wind turbine blade on Route 183 in Luling, Texas made impact with a speeding train and turned over after it was stuck on the tracks

A semi truck carrying a wind turbine blade on Route 183 in Luling, Texas made impact with a speeding train and turned over after it was stuck on the tracks

The semi driver Daniel Canup (left) was found safe after the incident with no injuries reported

The semi driver Daniel Canup (left) was found safe after the incident with no injuries reported

The 18-wheeler knocked over several electrical poles as it tried to make the turn before stopping in front of the escort vehicle. 

The driver recording the footage was heard shouting expletives as the railroad cross markers began coming down on the back of the semi. 

He was heard repeating ‘Oh my God. Oh my God’, as the train began to approach the semi. 

The driver of the escort vehicle quickly got into his vehicle and drove down the road to get out of Canup’s way, who then followed behind as the train began blaring its horn.

The escort vehicle for Canup's company was blocking the road in front him as the semi was seen sticking halfway out into the road with the other half stuck across the tracks

The escort vehicle for Canup’s company was blocking the road in front him as the semi was seen sticking halfway out into the road with the other half stuck across the tracks 

The railroad cross markers were seen collapsing on the back of the semi as the train began approaching

The railroad cross markers were seen collapsing on the back of the semi as the train began approaching

Seconds later, the Union Pacific train smashed into the back end of the semi truck and completely destroyed the wind turbine blade the truck was carrying. 

The train dragged the truck and turned it on its side to the shock and awe of witnesses and nearby drivers.

‘It was so scary, because there are a lot of people right here in the market, and everything happened in seconds,’ a witness told KXAN. 

The Luling Police Department arrived to the scene on Sunday afternoon and found no one, including Canup, had suffered from any injuries.   

‘The Good Lord had his hand on him! Hit by a train and did not get even one scratch,’ Daniel’s wife Michelle Canup posted on Facebook. 

The escort vehicle quickly moved out of the way with Canup attempting to get off the tracks in time

The escort vehicle quickly moved out of the way with Canup attempting to get off the tracks in time

The driver recording the footage began shouting expletives and 'Oh my God' as the train blared its horn at Canup's semi

The driver recording the footage began shouting expletives and ‘Oh my God’ as the train blared its horn at Canup’s semi

‘Please continue to pray for him and all that was involved. There was no other injuries thank God. A lot of damage and his truck is totaled. Not sure where God will lead him/us but we trust him.’

Canup allegedly blamed the escort vehicle for not warning him in time of the oncoming train which could have avoided the accident altogether.  

 ‘The escort service is supposed to time the crossings and coordinate with the train company in the event of a situation like this. So many failures’, Twitter user @SubliminalAniml said.  

Route 183 was closed by police who also reported that three parked vehicles, the railroad crossing signal controller, a commercial building and utility pole were all damaged.

 The front of the train’s engine was also damaged. The train and tracks were inspected by Union Pacific staff before service resumed at 9pm. 

The crash still remains under investigation.  

 This is reportedly not the first incident of an accident in the area as 13 other vehicles have gotten into crashes near the tracks with half of them being truck trailers, according to KXAN.

 ‘Part of the problem is in our experience, the oversized loads that have been permitted have traveled west on 183 from I-10, to turn north on 183, to proceed toward Lockhart, and the oversized loads — especially the ones with the wind turbines — are unable to turn’, a federal railroad report said.  

The intersection between Magnolia Avenue and Pierce Street, where the accident happened, is considered to be the third most dangerous in the district, according to Luling’s Chief of Police Bill Sala. 

The semi was then suddenly struck by the train in the matter of a few seconds, destroying the expensive wind turbine he was carrying

The semi was then suddenly struck by the train in the matter of a few seconds, destroying the expensive wind turbine he was carrying

The train dragged the vehicle onto its side to the shock and awe of surrounding witnesses

 The train dragged the vehicle onto its side to the shock and awe of surrounding witnesses

The video was posted on Facebook by Joe Throgmorton whose company driver recorded the shocking event. 

 It also got a lot of attention on Twitter after it was posted by @PermianLandman and received 91,200 likes, 29,300 retweets, and 2,300 comments.  

Many Twitter users still debated who was at fault for the incident. 

‘I don’t know how the trains work… but are the conductors the only people that don’t know how to use breaks???,’ @Robphillips_ said.

‘Every time there’s an accident the train never stopped. And if there’s an issue with stopping…then maybe the trains need to be fixed? Modified!!!’ 

‘Dont blame the train, the driver of that blade is at fault,’ @DirtySouthScout replied. 

‘Oversize load drivers should know that you cant move that fast, let alone beat a train. He should have sat his a** at the light and waited til the train passes, simple.’

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