Truck Collides with Train

UPDATED: 2:40 p.m.

The driver of a truck that collided with a train at Brodhead Road just off of Route 191 this morning survived the crash and was taken to for treatment, according to officials.

Robert Altamose Jr., 55, of Brodheadsville, was the driver of a Rider rental box truck, which was hit by the locomotive as it traveled west across the railroad crossing, said Township Police Chief Dan Pancoast.

The train struck the truck just behind the driver compartment, separating the driver section from the box storage area, Pancoast said. The collision also separated a diesel fuel tank from the truck, causing a fuel spill, the police chief said.

Hazardous materials teams were dispatched to the area to clean up the leaking fuel.

Northampton County Emergency Managment Director Robert F. Mateff Sr. said the fuel leak did not threaten the nearby Monocacy Creek and there were no other hazardous materials on board the train or the truck. Norfolk Southern Railroad is taking the lead on cleaning up the fuel spill on its own right-of-way, Mateff said.

The accident is under investigation, though Pancoast said an eyewitness told police that Altamose drove through the railroad crossing without stopping. If that is confirmed, Altamose could be facing traffic citations, the chief said.