A truck driver was killed on Monday morning after police say he attempted to drive around lowered railroad traffic arms.
The accident happened on November 20th at approximately 11:45 a.m. in Brevard County, Florida.
The Florida Highway Patrol says that truck driver Steven Robinson was traveling on North Cocoa Boulevard when he turned onto Beau Geste Road, where traffic arms for a railroad crossing were engaged. The driver then chose to try and drive around the traffic arms for “unknown reasons,” moving right into the path of the oncoming train.
The train then struck the semi truck, tearing the trailer from the tractor and pushing the cab into some nearby electrical equipment, reported the Orlando Sentinel.
49-year-old Robinson was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital, but later died of his injuries.
The train conductor, Glen Spaulding, as well as another person on the train, were also hospitalized, but for minor injuries, and are expected to recover.
The train, which was hauling trailers, was derailed by the impact.
The semi truck was hauling rocks from a nearby rock quarry at the time of impact.