A Maryland truck driver suffered serious injuries when a train collided with his truck at an uncontrolled intersection on Tuesday, May 28.
The crash occurred along Lake Drive near 66th Street in Rosedale around 2 p.m. A local news video showed a truck crossing the train tracks on a dirt road in a wooded area just as the train approached the uncontrolled intersection.
The collision caused the CSX Corp. train to derail. Authorities say that 15 of the two-locomotive train’s 45 cars were involved in the derailment, some of them exploding in a deafening burst of fire that could be felt blocks away. Black smoke engulfed the area and could still be seen from the Baltimore metro area that evening.
The truck driver involved in the collision has been identified as John Alban Jr., 50 years old and a resident of Essex. Alban is a retired Baltimore County firefighter who owns a waste collection company near the scene of the accident. He was transporting a load of garbage when the accident occurred.
Alban is listed in serious but stable condition. The engineer and conductor on board the train were not seriously injured.
Emergency personnel organized a voluntary evacuation from about 70 homes and businesses in the nearby area. Officials said there was no risk of toxic exposure from the explosion.
Firefighters on the scene worked overnight to put out the fires. Nearby roads were closed for several hours while hazardous materials crews and crash reconstruction teams assessed the situation.
The cause of the truck-train collision is still under investigation.
We wish Alban a quick and full recovery from his injuries.