Two large vehicles regularly used to transport both individuals and goods recently crossed paths in Western Pennsylvania resulting in a hazardous material leaking out of a 55-gallon drum. The incident, involving a commercial truck and a train, occurred around 7:30 a.m. in Bell Township, located in Westmoreland Township.

Authorities indicate that the tractor-trailer was in the process of trying to turn around when it backed into the path of the train. At that point the train ran into the truck's rear. The force of the impact caused the train, which was made up of three engines and three cars, to derail. It is not clear why the incident occurred though it is possible that the truck driver did not see the train coming or was not aware that he had backed the truck onto the tracks.

The truck driver reportedly bruised his head in the crash. Accordingly, after the collision the man was transported to a hospital to receive medical attention. Despite the train derailing it does not appear that anyone on the train was hurt.

The drum containing the hazardous chemical, a cleaning agent called xylene, was located in the truck's trailer at the time of the impact. Because of the nature of the flammable cleaning agent that leaked from the truck, a hazardous-materials crew was called in to attend to the spill. Thankfully the spill appears to have mostly been contained to the truck's trailer, with just a small amount making its way out of the trailer.

Both trucking and railroads are heavily regulated by the federal government. Accordingly, it is highly likely that an investigation will be launched into the incident.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Tractor-trailer, Norfolk Southern train crash in Westmoreland County," Molly Born, Feb. 5, 2013