The driver of a commercial semi tractor-trailer has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after his truck collided with a train in Langley shortly after 10 a.m. PT. Thursday.
Langley RCMP officer Cpl. Russ Miller says the truck was driving down a road parallel to the train tracks.
"A large commercial vehicle had been travelling east bound with the train when it made a turn onto the Langley airport property, at which point it failed to clear the tracks prior to the train’s arrival," said Miller. "The vehicle was struck mid-point."
He said it appears the truck driver "froze on the tracks when he realized he would collide with the train."
Miller says investigators want to know why the truck stopped.
"It’s unusual when a vehicle stops in front of a train. I’ve already contacted, as you can see, CVSE (Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement) , who are also here. We’re looking at doing a mechanical inspection on the truck."
The truck was crushed in the collision. The driver was trapped in the wreckage and had to be freed before he could be airlifted to hospital.
No dangerous goods were being transported.