FrontRunner Train Crashes into FedEx Truck, Cuts It in Two

A preliminary statement from the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) says that the barriers were up and the flashing lights and bells that normally indicate a train is approaching were not active. Well, we can pretty much see that ourselves in the video, thank you very much. Initial indications are that the crossing arms were affected by snow and ice from a snow storm the previous day.

Maybe the weather was restricting visibility because not one but two trucks pass nearly at the same time without ever noticing the train. The police patrol car does stop before the tracks, but maybe it's because the officer is obeying the law to the letter.

"In the event of a power outage or lack of signal, crossing gates are programmed to default to the “down and active” position as a safety precaution. Preliminary information indicates the gates were affected by the severe ice and snow conditions at the time and were in the default “down and active” position, as they are programmed. After an employee responded to the location, the gates moved to the up position. The agency has never had an accident like this before, and UTA is investigating why and how it happened to ensure it doesn’t occur again," UTA wrote in a statement released Tuesday.

FedEx lost a trailer, and all those packages got damaged, but the company is at least happy that nobody got seriously hurt. At the time, two drivers were in the cab, but escaped unharmed.

The southbound FrontRunner train had 82 passengers onboard, all of whom are unharmed, according to the Utah Transit Authority. Two of them reported feeling the whiplash from the impact but were later checked out of the hospital with no medical issues found.