A speeding truck that crashed into a level-crossing gate and got stuck on railway tracks was hit by an express train in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district on Friday morning, officials said.No one was injured in the accident that occurred near Bodwad station around 4.30 am, which disrupted rail services on the route for about 6 hours, he said.
Just when the 12111 Amravati Express from Mumbai to Amravati was about to pass through the area, the driver of a truck lost control over the wheel and rammed the vehicle into a level-crossing gate, the official said.
The truck broke the barrier at the rail-road intersection and got stuck on the tracks. The driver got down and was seeking help when the train hit the truck, the official said.
The alert loco pilot had spotted the truck on the tracks and slowed down the train, which averted a much bigger accident, he said.
Officials from the railways, local police, Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force rushed to the spot and launched an operation to clear the track, he said.
The truck had got stuck to the train engine which blocked rail traffic on the stretch for a few hours, the official said. A gas cutter and earthmover were engaged to remove the truck from the tracks.